Change your smoke alarm batteries this weekend
Posted: Oct 30, 2014 12:51 PM EDT | Updated: Oct 30, 2014 12:55 PM EDT
As you change your clocks Sunday, November 2 for Daylight Saving Time, the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office is urging everyone to also change their batteries in their smoke alarms. It's the perfect time to make sure your alarms are working and have new batteries.
So far this year in Indiana, there have been 65 fire deaths, with the majority of those happening in homes with no working smoke alarm.
There are some tips to consider as you test your smoke alarms:
- Have at least one working smoke detector
- Have a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area, as well as your basement.
- Test all smoke alarms each month to ensure they work properly.
- Purchase smoke alarms with lithium-powered batteries. Or change regular batteries at least once a year.
- Replace any smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old.
- Make a family escape plan and practice it at least every six months.
- For those renting a home or apartment, it is your landlord's responsibility to have at least one working smoke alarm. It's the law.
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 2 at 2 a.m. when clocks should be set back one hour.