Hello great citizens of Miles City,

Miles City Fire Rescue has received a large quantity of smoke detectors from the American Red Cross. We want everyone to have a working smoke detector. These are available for all private residences. Please call the fire house @ 406-234-2235 to schedule an install appointment. This is one of many services we offer at no charge to our community.

If you are a renter the follow Montana Code Annotated applies to your landlord.

70-24-303. Landlord to maintain premises
(1) A landlord:
(h) shall install in each dwelling unit under the landlord's control an approved carbon monoxide detector, in accordance with rules adopted by the department of labor and industry, and an approved smoke detector, in accordance with rules adopted by the department of justice. Upon commencement of a rental agreement, the landlord shall verify that the carbon monoxide detector and the smoke detector in the dwelling unit are in good working order. The tenant shall maintain the carbon monoxide detector and the smoke detector in good working order during the tenant's rental period. For the purposes of this subsection, an approved carbon monoxide detector, as defined in 70-20-113, and an approved smoke detector, as defined in 70-20-113, bear a label or other identification issued by an approved testing agency having a service for inspection of materials and workmanship at the factory during fabrication and assembly.

If you need assistance with your landlord complying with this law please contact the Miles City Fire Prevention Office @ 406-874-8652.

Here are the report highlights from a 2015 study by the National Fire Protection Association:

•Smoke alarms provide an early warning of a fire, giving people additional escape time. In 2009-2013, smoke alarms sounded in more than half (53%) of the home fires reported to U.S. fire departments.

•Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38%) or no working smoke alarms (21%).

•The death rate per 100 reported home fires was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms compared to the rate in homes with working smoke alarms (1.18 deaths vs. 0.53 deaths per 100 fires).

•In fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, almost half (46%) of the smoke alarms had missing or disconnected batteries.

•Dead batteries caused one-quarter (24%) of the smoke alarm failures.

Please share this article with everyone. Thank you for supporting our community.

Miles City Fire Rescue
2800 Main Street
Miles City, MT 59301
406-234-2235

[Edited by Fire Inspector (2/14/2017 9:02:26 PM)]

Bump for safety.

Miles City, MT-January 30, 2017 — The American Red Cross of Montana, Miles City Fire, and Custer County Volunteer Fire Department, have teamed up to install free smoke alarms in Miles City and Custer County homes that need them. This partnership is part of an ongoing nationwide Red Cross campaign to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by as much as 25 percent in five years.

“After very successful installation programs in other locations across the state, we are helping the residents in Custer County improve fire safety in their homes. Our goal is to install at least 300 alarms,” says Abbra Firman, Disaster Program Manager with the Montana Red Cross.

Miles City residents who would like to receive a free home safety visit should call 406-234-2235. Custer County residents should call 406-853-4623.

Want to Volunteer?

To sign up as a Red Cross volunteer, visit www.redcross.org/montana to fill out an application.

Learn about Fire Safety

To learn more about fire safety, visit redcross.org/homefires.

Download our Free Red Cross Apps

For access to life-saving information on what to do for common, everyday first aid emergencies including burns, download the free Red Cross First Aid App at redcross.org/apps.

Donate

You can help people affected by disasters like home fires, as well as countless other crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to the American Red Cross. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. To make a donation, go to www.redcross.org/montana or call 1-800-272-6668 or send a check to the American Red Cross of Montana, 1300 28th Street South. 3rd Floor, Great Falls, MT 59405.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross

Easy reminder...when the time changes..change your smoke alarm batteries!! Test your hard wired systems too!

As my folks are getting older...their hearing is fading! There is now a smoke and carbon dioxide combination system that has 2 units tied together by wireless technology. Excellent when people sleep at opposite ends of the house...as they both go off at the same time.

This is a reminder that everyone should change their smoke alarm batteries this weekend with the time change. If you don't have access to replacement batteries please stop by or call the station 406-234-2235. The manufactures recommend the smoke detectors be tested every month.

There are smoke detectors being sold now that will send a message to your phone if it detects smoke or CO. These devices work on Wi-Fi and would be a great way for early notification if you are away from home. As a rule, a fire will double in size every minute. Early detection is key to protecting life and property.

Technically, wouldnt these be smoke alarms since they are not connected to a control panel and have a notification appliance, that annoying horn, integral to them?