Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) remind Georgians that Fire Prevention Week is October 5-11. The theme for 2014 is, “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”

This year, Commissioner Hudgens and fire personnel around the state will be spreading the word about the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home.

Georgia law requires a smoke alarm in every home and Commissioner Hudgens encourages you to install working smoke alarms on every level, and inside and outside of each sleeping area. If you already have smoke alarms, don't forget to test the batteries monthly.

“Most fatal fires start between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., while the family is asleep” said Commissioner Hudgens. “Nine out of 10 fire victims are already dead before the fire department is even called, mainly from smoke and toxic gases. The advance warning of a smoke alarm can mean the difference between life and death.”

So far in 2014, fire has claimed the lives of 81 Georgians, with 56 of those deaths occurring in residential housing. In 39 of the residential housing deaths, fire investigators were unable to determine if a working smoke alarm was present.

Remember, if the smoke alarm sounds, go to your closest exit. If you must exit through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your exit. Once out of the house, stay out. Fatalities occur every year when people try to go back inside a burning home, usually to retrieve possessions.

For more information on planned activities during Fire Prevention Week, please contact your local fire department or call Commissioner Hudgens’ Fire Safety Education Division at 404- 657-0831.