Fall Back Plan: Get Free Batteries to Change Your Smoke Alarm this Saturday

Daylight-saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 4, and marks the 25th anniversary of the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” program, sponsored by Energizer, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R).  The Change Your Clock program which reminds us to change and test the batteries in our smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors is a simple message and habit that can be lifesaving. 

EF&R is aggressively promoting the lifesaving “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” message in our community on Saturday, Nov. 3.  Firefighters with EF&R will be located in several store locations in Sammamish, Issaquah, and Carnation, spreading the message and urging families to make a simple change that could save a life.  Our fire safety community partners are also donating smoke detector batteries to give away on November 3.

Issaquah and Sammamish Bartell Drug Stores, Issaquah Home Depot, and QFC have committed to donating 9-volt batteries at participating stores within EF&R’s service area between the hours of 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., while supplies last.  We ask anyone who receives a free battery make the lifesaving change by changing the battery in their smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector!

The following stores are participating in this year’s Change Your Clock program:

• (73) Bartell Drug Store                               526 228^th Ave. NE – Sammamish
• (82) Bartell Drug Store                               5700 E. Lake Samm. Pkwy. SE – Issaquah
• (87) QFC – North Bend                              460 E. North Bend Way - North Bend
• (83) QFC – Klahanie Shopping Ctr.         4570 Klahanie Dr. SE – Issaquah
• (81) QFC – Pine Lake                                 2902 228^th Ave. SE – Sammamish
• (72) QFC – Gilman                                      1540 NW Gilman Blvd. - Issaquah
• (85) IGA Carnation Market                         31722 Eugene St. #1 – Carnation
• (71) Home Depot Issaquah                      6200 E. Lake Samm. Pkwy. SE - Issaquah

Everyone is encouraged to use the extra hour they “gain” from daylight-saving time, to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, test the alarms, and remind friends and family to do the same.

Communities throughout the United States witness tragic home fire deaths each year, but everyone can help reduce the number of home fire fatalities.  Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide.  The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries. Eighty percent of child fire fatalities occur in homes without working smoke alarms.  “The peak time for a home fire fatality is between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most families are sleeping,” says Fire Chief Lee Soptich.  It is a tragic statistic that could be reduced by adopting the simple habit of the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery,” program. 

--Information from Eastside Fire & Rescue