Time to Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries

This year the change to Daylight Saving Time is Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 2:00 a.m. This change moves the clock forward one hour to allow an extra hour of sunlight in the evening and extra safety through autumn. 

Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services wants remind you to change your batteries in your smoke alarm when your change your clock! As a rule, your alarms should be checked at least monthly, and the batteries changed out twice a year.  A good way to remember is when we change or clocks to and from Daylight Saving Time, change the batteries in the smoke alarm. 

“Smoke alarms save lives!” stated Lieutenant Colin Rhoden of Gwinnett County Fire, “Today’s smoke alarms detect smoke particles before they can get to you, giving you added time to escape.” Most people who die in residential fires don’t wake up and succumb to smoke inhalation.

Part of your regular maintenance is to keep the alarm dust free, and test it as part of your home safety plan. Also, at least one smoke alarm should be placed on each level of the house, especially outside of bedrooms and at the top of staircase landings.  These areas give you the earliest alert about a possible fire in your home. No smoke alarm should be used if it is ten years or older. Smoke alarms have manufacture dates printed on them, so replace the unit based on the manufacturer’s recommendation. 

If it is necessary to replace the alarm there are primarily two different types. The ionization types are more responsive to flaming fires, such as a grease fire on the stove. The other type is photoelectric, it is generally more responsive to fires that begin after a long period of smoldering, such as a fire started by a cigarette discarded in a trash can or dropped on the cushion of a couch. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) the best protection is to use both types of smoke alarm technologies in the home. 

Remember…when you Spring your clock forward, change your smoke alarm batteries at the same time!

Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction Section offers several community based safety classes including live use of fire extinguishers and CPR.  Contact fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com for more information and to register for a class.