November 2, 2016 – As the time change approaches on Sunday, November 6, the Midland Fire Department wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives: changing the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
The Midland Fire Department has joined forces with Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the 29th year of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries when changing clocks back to standard time each fall.
Changing smoke detector batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce tragic deaths and injuries. The National Fire Protection Association reports that 71% of smoke alarms which failed to operate had missing, disconnected or dead batteries. This reinforces how important it is to take this time each year to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Additionally, the Midland Fire Department recommends replacing your smoke detectors every 10 years. Beginning in 2002, all smoke alarms must have a manufacture date marked on the outside of the smoke alarm. If your smoke alarm does not have a manufacture date, then it is more than 10 years old and must be replaced. When replacing your smoke alarms the Fire Department suggests purchasing alarms with 10-year lithium batteries.
In addition to testing fire safety devices, the Fire Department recommends that residents do the following: use the extra hour on November 6th to plan and practice escape routes; use both ionization and photo electric smoke alarms to alert people to home fires; and prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.
For more on fire safety, call the Midland Fire Department at 989-837-3410 or e-mail Fire Marshal Josh Mosher at jmosher@midland-mi.org.