The Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association to promote Fire Prevention Week.

This year’s campaign will run through Saturday, Oct. 9, and officials are hoping to use the opportunity to help educate the community about how to keep themselves and those around them safe. The campaign is called Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety, and it will focus on ensuring community members understand the different sounds coming out of their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, including:

• A continuous set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire. Get out, call 911 and stay out.
• A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed.
• Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life, and the unit must be replaced. All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years.
• Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

“When an alarm makes noise — a beeping or a chirping sound — you must take action,” Red, White & Blue Chief Jim Keating said. “Make sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond.”

Keating said community members could also learn more about the sounds coming from their specific alarms by checking the manufacturer’s instructions on the box or online.

Red, White & Blue will host a drive-thru open house in support of the campaign from 3-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the Colorado Mountain College parking lot, 107 Denison Placer Road, Breckenridge. Visitors can enter on Floradora Drive from Airport Road and exit onto Denison Road.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Breckenridge, call 970-453-2474 or visit RWBFire.org. General information about Fire Prevention Week can be found at FPW.org.