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Daly City proclaims Fire Prevention Week; fire chief urges monthly smoke‑alarm checks
Summary
Council proclaimed Oct. 12 Fire Prevention Week. Battalion Chief Craig Whitner urged residents to test smoke alarms monthly, replace devices older than 10 years and consider dual‑sensor alarms.
Daly City’s council declared Oct. 12 Fire Prevention Week during its Sept. 23 meeting and heard detailed safety guidance from Battalion Chief Craig Whitner of the North County Fire Authority.
"It's approximately 3 and a half minutes from time of ignition to full room flashover," Whitner said, explaining how quickly modern home fires can become deadly and noting that working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half. He reiterated widely recommended practices: test alarms monthly, replace them at 10 years and consider dual‑sensor or sealed‑battery devices.
Whitner offered practical maintenance tips — compressed air to remove dust at a distance, checking placement to avoid steam triggers near bathrooms, and consulting the manufacturer’s instructions — and pointed residents to the North County Fire Authority, NFPA.org and FEMA for resources. Council members raised common household questions about hardwired alarms and replacement; Whitner confirmed hardwired units still need replacement at 10 years and said new interconnected systems can improve safety.
The proclamation and presentation were framed as public education rather than regulatory action; residents were urged to follow the maintenance steps to reduce household risk.
