Daylight Savings Time is here. Change your Clocks and Check your batteries.

Daylight Savings, check smoke detectors

Posted by: Eli George

BUFFALO, N.Y. (RELEASE) - As the end of Daylight Saving Time approaches, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) urges residents to replace the batteries in their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors throughout their homes, and to test those detectors to make sure that they are functioning properly. Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 6 at 2:00 A.M. FASNY also recommends that homeowners dust or vacuum their smoke detectors to keep them free of debris, so they can function properly if needed.

According to a recent survey among 1,004 adults commissioned by the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and conducted by Harris Interactive by telephone in September 2010, Americans continue to have misunderstandings about smoke alarms, including how many they need in their homes, and how often they should be tested and replaced. The NFPA also states that two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms are one of the best safety devices you can buy,” said FASNY President David Jacobowitz. “Daylight Saving Time is the perfect time to replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. A task that only takes a minute or two can ultimately save so many lives.”

· NFPA tips for keeping smoke alarms/detectors working properly:

· Test smoke alarms/detectors at least once a month by using the alarms “test button”. Do NOT use an open flame.

· Clean the units by vacuuming or dusting in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

· Install new batteries in all smoke alarms/detectors at least once a year on the day you change your clocks in the fall or when the alarm chirps (warning that the battery is dying). Do NOT disable the “chirping” feature by removing batteries.

· Keep batteries in smoke alarms/detectors; do not borrow them for other purposes. Nuisance activations can be addressed by moving a smoke alarm/detector farther away from kitchen smoke or bathroom steam and by more frequent cleaning. If the problem persists, replace the unit.

· Don’t paint over smoke alarms and detectors.

NFPA tips for installing smoke alarms/detectors:

· While smoke alarms/detectors alert people to fires, families still need to develop and practice home fire escape plans so that they can get out quickly.

· Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home (including the basement) and in or near each sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, NFPA recommends installing smoke alarms/detectors inside the room. In new homes, smoke alarms/ detectors are required in all sleeping rooms, per the National Fire Alarm Code.

· Because smoke rises, alarms should be mounted high on walls or ceilings.

· Wall-mounted alarms should be positioned 4-12 inches from the ceiling.

· Ceiling-mounted alarms should be positioned 4 inches away from the nearest wall.

· On vaulted (“cathedral”) ceilings, be sure to mount the alarm at the highest point of the ceiling.

· Smoke alarms/detectors should not be installed near a window, door or forced-air register where drafts could interfere with their operation.

· NFPA recommends that people with hearing impairments install smoke alarms/ detectors with louder alarm signals and/or strobe lights to alert them to a fire. For a list of manufacturers that distribute smoke alarms/detectors for the hearing impaired, please call NFPA´s Center for High-Risk Outreach at 617-984-7826.

· Purchase smoke alarms/detectors with the UL label.

· Smoke alarms/detectors that are hard-wired to the home's electrical system should be installed by a qualified electrician.

For more information on smoke detector safety, visit the National Fire Protection Association website at www.nfpa.org .

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