Red Cross encourages families to change their smoke detector batteries when they “fall back”
It’s almost time to “Fall Back” again! At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 6, your clocks will need to be turned back an hour. The American Red Cross also reminds everyone that it’s a good time to also change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors at home.
Smoke Detector Fast Facts
· Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury and loss due to fire.*
· The fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51% less than the rate for homes without this • protection.*
· Having a working smoke alarm reduces one’s chances of dying in a fire by nearly half.** •
* U.S. Fire Administration and the ** National Fire Protection Association.
Smoke Detector Preparedness Tips
· Place a smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas. If you keep bedroom doors shut, place a smoke alarm in each bedroom.
· Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and batteries replaced yearly, or as soon as you hear a low-battery warning which usually sounds like a “chirping” noise.
· Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear it.
· Keep smoke alarms clean by vacuuming over and around it regularly. Dust and debris can interfere with its operation.
· Install smoke alarms away from windows, doors, or ducts that can interfere with their operation.
· Never remove the battery from or disable a smoke alarm. If your smoke alarm is sounding “nuisance alarms”, try locating it further from kitchens or bathrooms.
· Plan regular fire drills to practice your escape plan ensuring everyone in your home knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.
· Smoke alarms wear out. Replace your alarms every 10 years. If you can’t remember when you last replaced them, buy new alarms that are interconnected if possible. Install them using manufacturer’s instructions and hire an electrician for installing alarms that are hard-wired into your home’s electrical system.
For more advice on smoke detectors, please visit http://www.redcrossillinois.org/smoke-alarms-and-carbon-monoxide-detectors