Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries

Standard time begins at 2:00 AM on November 4, 2007 when clocks are turned back one hour. As the fall time change approaches, the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District wants to remind its residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing the batteries in their smoke alarms.

On average, three children a day die nationally in home fires. 80% of these fires occur in homes without working smoke alarms. The most common cause of non-working smoke alarms is dead or missing batteries. Make sure your children know and understand fire safety. Children are at double the risk of dying in a home fire because they often become scared and confused during fires. Show your children where smoke alarms are located and make sure they recognize the smoke alarm’s sound and understand that a sounding smoke alarm signals a home fire.

Changing smoke alarm batteries twice a year is the simplest and most effective way to reduce tragic fire deaths and injuries. Even if the battery is not dead, replace it with a new battery and use the old one in a toy. Your life depends on the detector, not the toy! A working smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly 50%. The Illinois Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years.

To save lives and prevent needless injuries, the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Fire Prevention Bureau urges all residents to adopt this simple, lifesaving habit of changing smoke alarm batteries when changing clocks back to standard time, this month at 2 AM on Sunday, November 4th. “Working smoke alarms provide an early warning and critical extra seconds to escape,” said Public Education Officer Lt. Jay Caron. “This is particularly important for children and seniors who are most at risk of dying in a home fire.”

In addition, Lt. Caron recommends using this time to test smoke alarms. Once the new battery is installed, this can be done by pushing the “test” button. It is also a good time to be sure a smoke alarm is installed on each level of your home, including the basement. You can consult Lisle-Woodridge Fire District for proper installation locations. Test and vacuum your smoke alarms once a month as cobwebs and dust can impair sensitivity. Check flashlight batteries also and always keep a working flashlight near your bed, in the kitchen, basement and family rooms. In the event of a fire, you can use the flashlight to signal for help. Install fire extinguishers making sure to install one in the kitchen, and know how to use them The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends a multi- or all-purpose fire extinguisher (ABC) that is listed by an accredited testing laboratory. Plan and practice your escape routes. In addition to planning “two ways out”, practicing those escape routes with the entire family.

For more information on this or any other Fire Prevention program call the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Prevention Bureau at 353-3030.