DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois' new 10-year smoke alarm law goes into effect at the beginning of the year; today, state and local fire safety experts gathered at the Decatur Fire Department to help bring awareness to the new law.

According to Margaret Vaughn, the Government Affairs Director for the Illinois Firefighters Association, in 2021, there were 97 residential fire deaths in Illinois, and 70 percent of those deaths occurred in homes without working smoke alarms.

"To have the technology readily available to save lives and prevent injuries and yet not use it, is something we need to change," said Vaughn. "We worked with the General Assembly to pass a law, which will require Illinois residents to replace their old smoke alarms with the type that has a long-term 10-year sealed battery by January 1st. This would apply to residents that are still using alarms with removable batteries or alarms that are not hardwired."

Vaughn explained further, "Residential smoke detectors are not a new requirement. Since 1988, the Illinois Smoke Detector Act has required all dwellings to have smoke detectors. Homes built starting in 1988 had to have hardwired smoke alarms that were just battery operated. So, the new requirement simply updates a law that has already been on the books for 30 years, to reflect the changes in new technology, while making it easier and more cost effective for Illinois residents to comply. This new law would apply mostly to homes built prior to 1988."

"Nothing is more heartbreaking to respond to a fatal fire and find non-working or the lack of smoke alarms in the home," said Decatur Deputy Fire Chief Dan Kline. "While the number of fire deaths may have decreased in the past few decades, you are more likely to die in a residential fire that you were years ago. This is because the majority of these deaths are caused by smoke inhalation and not burns, which is why escape time is so critical. The toxic gases that are emitted from the synthetic material in modern homes, as opposed to the more natural woods and fibers that were used in the past, contribute to this problem and flash-over is occurring in as little as 3 minutes as opposed to almost 30 minutes a generation ago. A smoke alarm is an effective, life-saving tool that provides you with the opportunity to safely exit the home when seconds count."

To learn more about protecting your family from smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide, visit the IFSA website.

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