Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday

From the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue: 

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 11.  As you change your clocks forward, Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue would like to remind residents to change the battery in their smoke alarm. Smoke alarms provide occupants with an early warning allowing them additional time to escape. Smoke alarms save lives!

According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost all U.S. households have at least one smoke alarm.

Each year, in the U.S., more than 3,000 people die in home fires; most are homes without a working smoke alarm.  When properly installed and maintained, smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury and loss due to fire.  You double your chances of surviving a home fire with working smoke alarms compared to homes without working smoke alarms.

To keep you and your family safe follow these life-saving smoke alarm tips:

• Place a smoke alarm on every level of your home including the basement and inside and outside sleeping areas.   
• Check smoke alarms monthly by pushing the test button. If you cannot reach the button easily, use a broom handle. 
• Change the batteries in your alarms at least once a year or each time you change your clock. (spring forward, fall back).

• Do not remove the batteries from your smoke alarms to put in other appliances. 
• The life span of a smoke alarm is 8-10 years and the entire alarm should be replaced during this time (consider installing a ten-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened).
• Hard-wired smoke alarms with battery back-ups need to be tested monthly and batteries replaced yearly. 
• Keep smoke alarms clean. Vacuum or dust your smoke alarms according to manufacturer’s directions to keep them working properly.
• Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do in the event it sounds.

Smoke alarms can often sound while cooking or taking a shower that emits large amounts of steam.  If a smoke alarm sounds during these types of activities, do not remove or disable the battery; creating a minor fix that can lead to a deadly mistake.  Instead you should:

• Open a window or door and press the “hush” button,
• Wave a towel at the alarm to clear the air, or
• Move the entire alarm several feet away from the location.