Checking your smoke detectors could save your life

Firefighters want to remind residents to change the batteries on their smoke detector when they change their clocks.

“Less than 37-percent of house fires have a working smoke detector,” says Al Kirsits, Battalion Chief of Penn Township fire department.

That's a number he says is too low.

“That's tragic. That's absolutely tragic," said Kirsits.

He says that's why it's important around this time of year for everyone to make sure their smoke detectors are working because if you don't, it could come with devastating effects.

“We had a structure fire where a person actually died and they had a smoke detector in the house but it didn't have any batteries in it,” says Chief Kirsits. “Sometimes you think if they would have a working smoke detector, you would think maybe we could've gotten there a little quicker.”

So as we spring forward an hour in time, Chief Kirsits wants residents in Michiana to spring forward into action to keep their homes safe.

Chief Kirsits also says if you can't afford a smoke detector right now, or need help installing one, any local fire station would be more than happy to come out and take care of it for you.