Illinois Home Fire Campaign The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign helps save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes that don't have them, and by educating people about home fire safety.
Smoke alarms are not expensive and are worth the lives they can help save. Some fire departments offer reduced-price, or even free, smoke alarms. Contact your local fire department's nonemergency phone number for more information.
Effective January 1, 2023
The updated law requires Illinois residents to replace their old smoke alarms with the type that has a long-term, 10-year sealed battery. This would apply to residents that are still using alarms with removable batteries or alarms that are not hardwire.
(a) Every dwelling unit or hotel shall be equipped with at least one approved smoke detector in an operating condition within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping purposes.
YES! As the seller, it is your duty to make sure the house is safe for whoever purchases your home. During the home inspection, the inspector will take note of whether or not you're adhering to local fire safety regulations.
Updates to the State Smoke Detector Mandate went into effect Jan. 1, 2023. The updated mandate requires residential smoke detectors to feature a non-removable, self-contained long-term battery. These smoke detectors must replace those that are older than 10 years or that are no longer functioning.
A smoke alarm stands guard around the clock, and when it first senses smoke, it sounds a shrill alarm. This often allows a family the precious, but limited, time needed to escape. About two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, including the basement. Fire detectors should also be installed inside of every bedroom and outside of each sleeping area.
Illinois requires carbon monoxide alarms effective January 1, 2007. Carbon monoxide (CO) is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It is produced when any fossil fuel, including natural gas, is burned. When fossil fuels do not burn properly, CO can build up and cause sickness and even death.
(WITHOUT TAMPERING WITH THEM OR COVERING THEM UP, which is illegal and could open you up to criminal liability should a fire occur, and we definitely don't want that)! So...
The Smoke-Free Illinois Act (410 ILCS 82; Public Act 095-0017) is a comprehensive anti-smoking law that took effect in Illinois on January 1, 2008 and bans smoking in most buildings and vehicles used by the general public, used as a place of employment, or owned by the government or other public body.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Councils, housing associations and private landlords must: provide smoke alarms on each floor of your home.
The national average cost for installing a smoke detector is between $70 and $150, with most people paying around $112 to install a dual hardwired detector. At the low end of the spectrum, you pay around $44 for a battery-operated ionization detector.
Various insurance carriers require or incentivize policyholders to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes or businesses as these devices could mean a matter of life or death. In some cases, damaged detectors could invalidate a policy or reduce a settlement if a fire were to occur.
We continue to recommend the Google Nest Protect as the best choice for most people. It sends speedy alerts of smoke or carbon monoxide to your phone. A voice warning precedes the siren, so you can stop it from sounding if you know it's a false alarm (burnt toast again?).
National fire safety standards recommend a minimum of one detector on each level of the home, one detector outside the bedroom area, and one in each bedroom. The detector that is placed outside of the bedroom area should be installed in a place where it can be heard at night through a closed bedroom door.
In most areas, the fire department does not charge to respond to carbon monoxide alarms or to check for the presence of CO in a residence. However, policies can vary depending on the jurisdiction or specific fire department. It's always a good idea to contact your local fire department for specifics on their policies.
The fire and rescue services offer advice to help keep you and your home safe from fire and other hazards. They offer a home safety visit to those who need it. A visit includes free home safety advice and equipment. If needed, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms will be provided.
At least 10 feet away from cooking appliances
You can't always move these devices, but you will want to keep smoke alarms at least 10 feet away to help cut down on false alarms. The steam and grease from kitchen work can clog smoke detector sensors so they don't work as well.
According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the California Building Code, at least one smoke detector needs to be placed in each of the following areas of your home: On Every Floor Level. In Every Bedroom. In Every Hallway Outside of a Bedroom.
Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation. Never paint smoke alarms.
In addition, California has laws requiring smoke detectors in certain residential facilities. If a landlord fails to follow the law, and a tenant is harmed, the tenant can sue for damages.
1. Do I need a carbon monoxide detector? Unless your house is all-electric (no gas appliances), the answer is yes. Carbon monoxide poisoning is often lethal and most homes have the potential for this tragedy.
In some situations, if occupants do not feel a role of responsibility, if their interpretation of the situation is that there is no threat or if others around them are paying no attention to the alarm, they may decide to ignore the warning.