HOW TO APPLY
Step 1: Vashon residents fill out an online request form (see below). Residents must be low-income, over the age of 65, or be unable to install or purchase on their own for any other reason. Landlords are required to provide smoke/CO alarms for all rental units.
Step 2: After submitting your request, you will be contacted by your local VIFR fire station to schedule an appointment.
Step 3: VIFR will come to your home and install qualifying alarms. Vashon Fire Department recommends one smoke/CO alarm on every level of your home and inside every bedroom.
Step 4: After installation is complete, residents will sign a form with the Fire Department officer confirming proper installation.
INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, AND SAFETY
Install
Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and inside every bedroom. If you already have existing smoke detectors, we will check those detectors for safe operation and, if needed, replace your batteries.
Test
Test battery-operated alarms once a month to ensure they are working.
Change
Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year. Each fall, when clocks are changed to mark the end of Daylight Saving Time, install a new battery. If an alarm “chirps” to indicate a low battery, change it.
A ten-year lithium battery smoke alarm does not need to have its battery changed. Replace smoke alarms that use extended-life, lithium batteries when the alarm “chirps” or fails to respond to periodic testing. The batteries in these units cannot be replaced.
False Alarms
Use the hush button to silence a false alarm from cooking smoke or steam. Never disconnect or remove the battery. If your smoke alarm does not have a hush button, use a magazine or kitchen towel to fan the smoke away from the alarm.
Replacement
Replace your smoke alarms every 10 years. If you do not know how old your smoke alarm is, or if it is 10 years or older, replace it as soon as possible.
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) ALARMS
CO alarms have a life expectancy of around seven (7) years. All CO alarms produced after August 1, 2009, have an end-of-life warning notification that alerts the resident that the alarm should be replaced. The CO alarm will beep every 30 seconds or display ERR or END.
If a CO alarm is at its end-of-life, replacing the battery will not stop the beep. Some CO alarms have a feature that will silence the signal for 30 days, but this will not solve the issue, as the CO alarm will continue to beep after the 30-day period ends.