What does this mean and what does it have to do with fire safety?

We all know that Smoke Alarms (Detectors) can save lives when operating properly. There are many types, however most smoke alarms are battery operated or have battery backup features. It is important to test your alarms each month to assure that they are in working order. We also need to be sure the battery has adequate power to operate the alarm. Smoke alarms have a monitoring system for the battery and start chirping when the battery is low. All of this sounds great and fool proof, however several lives were lost due to non-working smoke alarms. Many were found without batteries in them. The Reason? Maybe someone took the battery for a game or radio, or removed the battery to stop the chirping or maybe they were going to replace it and forgot. Because of these findings the program Change Your Clock Change Your Battery was developed. If everyone follows this program they should never be subject to a non-working smoke detector due to a missing or weak battery. The action is simple and we are reminded each year at Daylight savings time.

Each year we change our clocks. In the spring (April) we move them ahead one hour and in the fall (October) we move them back one hour.

Each time we do this we need to change the battery in all the smoke alarms. If a specific battery type is recommended or not, always be sure you are purchasing a fresh battery. Those available at a garage sale or flea market may be old stock. Always check the date on the battery.

NOTE: The life of a smoke detector is 10 years.

If your detector is 10 years old or older, it should be replaced.

Remember, properly working smoke alarms can save lives.