Are you ready to spring forward Sunday morning? Once again, it is time to change the clocks to Daylight Savings Time and the Nebraska State Fire Marshall’s Office also wants to remind you that it is also time to change the battery in your home smoke detector. Ray Nance is the office’s Fire Prevention Deputy and says statistics from the National Fire Protection Association shows about 31-percent of homes still do not have working smoke detectors.
Nance says it is also a good time to think back and remember when you purchased your smoke detector. They do not last forever. There is about a 20-percent failure rate once the smoke detector hits 10 years of age and once they hit 15-years, that failure rate jumps to 50-percent.
Nance says when you take your detector down to change the battery this weekend, it is also a good time to clean the system itself and make sure it is free of all dust and/or dirt. That can inhibit the ability of the alarm to receive what it needs to detect smoke and could also cause false alarms.
Many people do not have the correct number of smoke alarms in their home. Nance says one should be placed outside each sleeping area on each level of the home. It is also advised if you sleep with the bedroom door closed to have a smoke detector inside that specific room.
Many fire departments in Nebraska will provide free smoke detectors and will install them for you at no charge. Some also provide free battery exchange service.
Daylight Savings Time goes into effect Sunday at 2 am.
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