Change clocks, change batteries

When everyone in the community sets their clocks back to Standard Time this weekend, the Fort Monroe Fire Department hopes they will remember one other important “change” that could save lives.

If you have not already done so, you should replace the batteries in your home smoke alarms.

Communities nationwide witness tragic fire deaths each year. On average, two children per day die in home fires and 80 percent of those incidents occur in buildings without working smoke alarms.

Furthermore, the peak time for home fi re fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give the extra seconds they need to get out safely.

Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefi ts the devices were designed to provide. Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce fi re deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) recommends replacing your smoke alarms every 10 years.

This is the 22nd year for the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke alarm batteries when changing clocks back to standard time each fall and for daylight savings time in the spring.

The Fire Prevention Offi ce also recommends that everyone use one of those “extra” hours they gained from
the time change to: check their smoke alarms by pushing the test button, plan two escape routes from your home, and practice evacuation with the entire family. It’s also a good idea to prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.

If you need additional information about fi re safety, call 788-4011.