Check and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms
By Station News
March 8, 2010
Many fire departments encourage people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks because Daylight Saving Time provides a convenient reminder.
A working smoke detector more than doubles a person's chances of surviving a home fire. More than 90 percent of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, but one-third are estimated to have dead or missing batteries.
Replace any smoke alarms older than ten years. Replace any CO alarms older than five years. Sensors in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms degrade and lose effectiveness over time through environmental contamination and age.
According to a 2005 study publicized by the Consumer Product Safety Division, 3,700 people die in the U.S. annually in home fires and 18,000 people are injured. Unintentional deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are much more rare, numbering only about 180 annually.
