Crime & Safety

Change Your Clocks and Smoke Detector Batteries

Fire officials remind residents to change batteries this weekend.

Fire officials want residents to use the end of Daylight Savings Time Sunday morning to change their clocks and batteries in their smoke detectors.

"You are placing your lives in the hands of the smoke detector to notify and wake you up if there is a fire," said John Hejza, fire marshal. "A couple of dollar investment can save lives."

The  partnered in October with the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote "Smoke Alarms:  A sound you can live with!" during the Fire Prevention Week.

Find out what's happening in St. Clair Shoreswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Throughout the week, and during an open house at the central fire station, fire department personnel shared the importance of the smoke alarms. With residents taking the time to "fall back" for the end of Daylight Savings Time, fire officials are again reminding residents of the importance of the alarms for themselves and others.

"It is not uncommon that we will receive reports of a fire from a neighbor, postal carrier or UPS driver who hears a smoke detector and we are able to get to the home sooner," said Hejza. "A smoke detector not only wakes you, but it also provides another audible sound that alerts others that something is wrong in the house."

Find out what's happening in St. Clair Shoreswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hejza also reminds residents that smoke detectors do not last forever and have a maximum life expectancy of 10 years. When residents change the batteries, he recommends checking the date stamped on smoke detector to determine if needs to be replaced.

"Smoke detectors lose sensitivity and reliability," he said.

The following are smoke detector tips from the NFPA:

Instillation

  • At least one smoke alarm should be located on every level of the home, including the basement, as well as in every sleeping room and outside each sleeping area.
  • NFPA strongly recommends either installing combination smoke alarms, or both ionization and photoelectric alarms, in the home. An ionization alarm is typically more responsive to a flaming fire, such as a pan fire. A photoelectric alarm is typically more responsive to a smoldering fire, as might occur where a lighted cigarette is dropped on a sofa. Combination smoke alarms have ionization and photoelectric capabilities.
  • Whatever type of smoke alarms you choose, they should carry the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
  • Interconnected smoke alarms offer the best protection; when one sounds, they all do. This is particularly important in larger or multi-story homes, where the sound from distant smoke alarms may be reduced to the point that it may not be loud enough to provide proper warning, especially for sleeping individuals.
  • A licensed electrician can install either hard-wired multiple-station alarms, or wireless alarms, which manufacturers have more recently begun producing. An electrician can also replace existing hard-wired smoke alarms with wireless interconnection capabilities.

Maintenance and Testing

  • Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
  • If an alarm "chirps," warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
  • Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they're 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.

 

 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.