What’s government for? To answer, I go back to the basics. Emergency help in response to crime, that’s a good example. We need that. Just the other day I praised the 9-1-1 emergency number system as a very good idea, a worthy government program.

But government can’t do everything. We have to protect ourselves, too. Though most communities have a government-provided ambulance and fire system, as well as a police response system, does that mean we should just stop there, and let the professionals handle everything?

No. Take smoke alarms. Very useful devices. Prudent home owners have them. And we have every reason to want to make them MORE useful.

Did you know that some hearing-impaired people can’t hear the most common types? Did you know that many people sleep too deeply to be wakened by most smoke alarms?

A recent study, reported by Reuters, demonstrated that children are far more likely to wake up and successfully exit their rooms — and go through proper emergency procedures — when the smoke alarms issue a pre-recorded warning message and instructional commands with their own parent’s voices instead of the usual shrill squeal.

I can tell you, I’ll be looking for that kind of smoke alarm, when available.

It’s just part of being a good homeowner and parent. Perfecting the means of emergency response is not something we leave to the fire and police departments. It’s something we should demand . . . of ourselves.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.