Time Change: Don't Forget New Smoke Alarm Batteries

This Sunday Roseville Fire Department firefighters want to remind you to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you set your clocks back.

Working smoke alarms reduce a person's chance of dying in a fire by half, according to Rob Baquera, the fire department's public safety community relations coordinator.

For the best protection, Baquera recommends installing smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside every sleeping area and in every bedroom.

Smoke alarms should be mounted high on walls or ceilings and tested monthly, he instructed. 

"It's important to replace smoke alarm batteries at least once a year, unless they are 10-year lithium batteries," Baquera said. "Even if your smoke alarms are hardwired, replace the batteries in case of a power outage."

Also important, if an alarm “chirps,” warning that the battery is low, replace the battery right away, he added, recommending that residents replace all smoke alarms — including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hardwired alarms — when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested.

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