Just when you thought that Halloween was going to be over too soon, we are happy to say to the party goers that the are going to gain an extra hour on Sunday morning as the annual daylight savings time goes into effect. However, daylight savings time is also the perfect time not only to catch up on some extra sleep but also change the batteries in your smoke and fire alarms.
Given that many of the apartments in our city are multi-family, proper working smoke alarms are a necessity that can save your life.
So when buying the Halloween candy this year, pick up some batteries for the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
One of the best things one can do as to get our homes ready for winter, is to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have fresh batteries. A working smoke alarm is your first line of defense in a fire. Time is your enemy in a fire and working smoke alarms give you precious time to use your home escape plan before poisonous gases and heat make escape impossible.”
The following tips are offered:
- Replace Aging Smoke & CO Alarms
- No appliance lasts forever. “When changing your alarm’s batteries check to see if your alarms need to be replaced. Smoke alarms last about ten years and older carbon monoxide alarms last 5-7.
- Ten Year Alarms
- There are some new smoke and CO alarms that come with a sealed 10-year lithium battery. The batteries in these alarms never need changing, but the entire alarm needs to be replaced every ten years.
For more information on smoke alarms in Massachusetts contact your local fire prevention office or go to: www.mass.gov/dfs and type Smoke Alarms in the search box.