Most smoke detectors will alert you when they are near the end of their expected lifespan or when the battery is running low. The low battery alarm is a short, intermittent chirp or beep that repeats every 30 to 60 seconds. The full alarm, however, is a loud, continuous siren that signals an active emergency.

It is recommended that your detector be changed every 10 years and that you change your batteries on a regular schedule. An easy way to remind yourself is to change your batteries when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.

Even with fresh batteries, a detector that's over a decade old is no longer reliable. The sensors inside degrade over time from dust, dirt, and electrical corrosion. An older alarm may fail to detect smoke or fire in time, putting you and your family at risk. For optimal safety, always check the manufacture date printed on the back of the alarm (see below) and replace the entire unit every 10 years.

If your smoke alarm frequently goes off while cooking, consider relocating it at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances. You might also want to use a photoelectric smoke alarm, which is less prone to false alarms caused by steam or smoke from cooking.

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas. Hallways, living rooms, and the kitchen (at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances) are also key locations.

For added safety, consider installing combination alarms that detect both smoke and carbon monoxide (CO). 

Yes, smoke alarms are still essential even if your home has a sprinkler system. Smoke alarms provide early warning, allowing you to evacuate before the fire spreads and the sprinkler system activates.

Carbon monoxide, sometimes called the invisible killer, is a colorless and odorless byproduct of incomplete combustion that can seep from broken or misused heating systems. Faulty stoves, furnaces, hot water heaters, vehicles or portable generators are all potential sources of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide poisoning kills hundreds of people and hospitalizes tens of thousands every year in the U.S. 

You can learn more at the Illinois Department of Public Health.

These detectors are designed to measure the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air (in parts per million, or ppm) and sound an alarm if enough of the chemical is around long enough to become a problem. If detected over the course of a few hours, carbon monoxide at 70 ppm will trigger an alarm. At the other end of the spectrum, dangerous concentrations above 400 ppm will do the same after just a few minutes. 

In any case, the alarms should provide enough notice so that people nearby can escape before symptoms, such as nausea, headache or loss of consciousness, take hold. 

Your carbon monoxide detector is beeping because it's either detecting a dangerous level of CO, has a low battery, is malfunctioning, or has reached the end of its life. A loud, continuous alarm signifies a possible CO leak, so evacuate the building immediately and call emergency services. 

For other beeps, first, check the manual to understand the specific sound pattern, then replace the batteries, and if the problem persists, reset the unit or replace it if it is old. As with smoke detectors, these should be replaced every 10 years due to sensor degradation.  Beep pattern information and date of manufacture can sometimes be found on the back of the detector as well.

Effective January 1, 2007, every Illinois home is required to have at least one carbon monoxide alarm in an operating condition within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping purposes.

Yes! The Hoffman estates Fire Department holds regularly scheduled CPR classes throughout the year.

All courses are taught by American Heart Association (AHA) certified instructors. Instructors facilitate the classes using instructional videos, AHA course-specific instructional printed materials, and hands-on instruction.

All classes are held in the lower level of Fire Station 24, located at 5775 Beacon Pointe Drive.

Please call 847-843-4825 to register for any of the above classes at least one week prior to the class date.

The Citizens Fire Academy is an opportunity for the residents of the Village to experience, and learn about the inner workings of their fire department.  Not only will you get the chance to climb a 100' ladder, spray water from a fire hose and cut apart a car, but you will also learn valuable lessons regarding home fire safety, CPR, and the history of the Hoffman Estates Fire Department in a fun and relaxed environment.

Watch our Citizen's Fire Academy page for application deadlines.

The Northwest Special Recreation Association is partnering with Hoffman Estates Fire Department to provide the first Fully Involved Fire Academy (FIFA) for individuals of all ability levels. This program will take a look inside what it takes to be a first responder and focus on the importance of fire safety and what it takes to be a true hero.

A limited number of spots are reserved for Hoffman Estates residents and for those needing extra support beyond the 1:4 ratio.

More information will be available when the application period opens.

Is your medicine cabinet full of expired drugs or medications you no longer use? The best way to dispose of most types of expired, unwanted or unused medicines is through a drug take-back program.

To discard of your prescription or over-the-counter medicines, you can:

• Drop off them at a drug take-back location.
• Mail them using a prepaid drug mail-back envelope.

If you cannot use those options, follow these guidelines:

• If your medicine is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s flush list, flush these potentially dangerous medicines down the toilet.
• If your medicine is not on the flush list, follow the instructions below to discard it at home.

NEVER put batteries OF ANY KIND in your home recycling bin or cart! This can cause a hazard to workers and cause larger hazardous situations.

The Village of Hoffman Estates regularly offers household hazardous waste events and will accept these items. Watch the Village calendar for the events schedule.

For other options, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) offers information on safe battery disposal.

The Village of Hoffman Estates regularly offers household hazardous waste events and will accept these items. Watch the Village calendar for the events schedule.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collections are also conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and are available to all Illinois residents FREE OF CHARGE. The IEPA provides information on their collection program, along with a complete schedule of upcoming collection events.

For questions about the IEPA's one-day or long-term collections, please call the Waste Reduction Unit at (217) 524-3300.

For other options, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) offers information on safe battery disposal.

Yes, our firefighters live at the firehouse for 24 hour shifts. In essence, the firehouse is their home away from home. If you visit one of our firehouses, you will see that we have a bunk room for the firefighters to sleep when not running calls, as well as a full kitchen, exercise room and "day room" for the firefighters to relax.

As we mentioned above, our firefighters live at the firehouse 24/7 and part of that lifestyle is shopping daily for our meals.

Each morning they firefighters chip in to purchase their meals for the day and one of the rigs in that firehouse will shop and cook for the day. Cooking and enjoying a meal together helps build camaraderie and a healthy lifestyle making us better teammates and public servants.

All of our Firefighters are licensed paramedics and we work together as a team, whether it is diagnosing and treating a medical problem, moving equipment or providing an extra pair of hands in an emergency.

Many times, our crews arrive to find a situation that is more severe than what dispatch may have relayed, and having the extra personnel on hand makes a difference when time is of the essence.

Sometimes, ambo is somewhere else

Many departments will dispatch a certain number and type of engines, ambulances and trucks to specific call types such as fire alarms, car accidents or cardiac arrests. Occasionally those calls are "downgraded" to a lower alarm level when dispatch provides further information and those rigs head back to the station. This is the most likely case if you encounter this situation.

While medical calls are the most frequent call, firefighters handle many different types of problems. In many cases Fire Department is the first call many people when they don't know what to do.

On a regular basis, we respond to medical issues, fire alarms, fires, car accidents, carbon monoxide alarms, smells of natural gas, calls for assisting handicapped residents, hazardous materials spills, water-based emergencies, confined space emergencies, situations that require a rope rescue from high locations, building collapse, sparking electrical wires and shutting of water leaks.

The fire pole is an iconic symbol of American firehouses, however many have gone by the wayside due to safety issues. All of Hoffman Estates firehouses are one-story buildings and have no need for a fire pole.

There are a large number of rig types in the fire service, but these are the most basic (but not simple).

A fire engine has a water pump and is used to supply water to extinguish a fire. Engines carry portable ground ladders and equipment necessary to handle a variety of fire related hazards as well as medical issues.

A fire truck typically has a large ladder fixed to the top that allow us to reach elevated locations where traditional ground ladders aren't sufficient. They can be for rescuing people, spraying large volumes of water from its nozzles, and ventilating roofs. Our truck also carries extrication equipment for serious accidents and medical equipment for patient treatment.

HEFD also runs a squad that carries a variety of tools necessary for severe car accidents, including cutters and spreaders that many people think of as "the jaws of life". As with all our other apparatus, it carries a full complement of medical equipment.