When You 'Fall Back' Check Your Smoke Alarms This Weekend

WASHINGTON — The State Fire Marshal’s Office has a simple request for Washingtonians this weekend: check your smoke alarms.

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, and the fire marshal says when you're busy changing the time on all your clocks, you might as well double-check to make sure all your smoke alarms are good to go while you're at it.

The fire marshal’s office recommends:

• Smoke alarms be installed in every bedroom, hallways leading to bedrooms, and at least one on every floor of the home, including the basement.
• Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable batteries should be effective for 10 years, but not more.
• Smoke alarms with replaceable batteries however, should have their batteries changed.
• Test every smoke alarm in your house. Make sure you and your family know what the alarms sound like and how to react when they go off.
• Rental homes must also have working smoke alarms. If yours does not, contact your landlord or property manager.
  • Maintaining and testing smoke alarms, however, is the tenant's responsibility.

If you need any extra incentive: the National Fire Protection Association says a working smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a house fire in half.

Related: Daylight Saving Time Ends: What Time The Sun Sets In Washington