Safety devices are only helpful if they work when needed. Smoke alarms and gas detectors sit quietly on walls or ceilings, and it’s easy to forget about them. Batteries die, sensors age, or someone may switch them off after a nuisance beep and forget to turn them back on.
Picking a fixed date each month – say the 1st or the last Sunday – to test them makes it a habit. Press the test button, see if they sound. If not, replace batteries or call for service.
It’s a tiny task, but in a real emergency, that loud alarm may be the only thing that gives you the extra seconds you need to respond calmly rather than in panic.