Install smoke alarms throughout your house or facility. That’s the primary message of the National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week, which takes place Oct. 4-10.

Are smoke alarms really effective?

“Smoke alarms save lives,” says the NFPA. “If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. In fact, having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half!”

Fire factoid: Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are asleep.

But where to install them?

The NFPA says that when it comes to smoke alarms, it’s all about “location, location, location.”

For residences, smoke alarms should be in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including the basement. Larger homes may need more alarms.

And of course, their batteries must be checked regularly.

NFPA is using Fire Prevention Week to get the word out, so that everyone better understands the life-saving value of home smoke alarms. Visit NFPA's "Smoke Alarm Central" for more information.