Change the Clocks and Change the Batteries

From the City of Berkeley:

All residents and community members should remember to replace batteries in their home smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when changing their clocks back one hour this weekend.

“Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives but they don’t work unless a working battery in place,” said Assistant Chief John Fitch, fire marshal for the Berkeley Fire Department. “It takes just a few seconds to replace that battery, and it could be the difference between life and death.”

"The “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” campaign can save your family. When you turn the clock back one hour, replace the battery in every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in your home.  Every year lives are lost in homes where there is no smoke detector, or a non-functioning smoke alarm.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), between 2005-2009, 73 percent of smoke alarm failures were due to dead, disconnected or missing batteries. Almost two-thirds of fire deaths in a home did not have a working smoke alarms.

In January 2011, a new state law took effect that installed if gas appliances are used for heating or cooking, or if there is an attached garage.

Visit this Berkeley Fire Department web page for more information about smoke alarms or contact the Fire Prevention Division at (510) 981-5585.