In just over a week, it will be time to “spring forward” one hour, and Missouri City residents are being reminded that Daylight Savings Time should serve as a reminder to check the batteries in their smoke detectors.
Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, March 8. Missouri City Fire Marshal Curtis Campbell said time changes are a good way to remember to check smoke detector batteries at least twice every year.
“The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you change the batteries once a year,” Campbell said. “This simple step could save the lives of you and your family members.”
Campbell said residents should test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace batteries once a year, or when the alarm “chirps” to indicate the battery is low. Any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old should be replaced.
Residents can contact the Missouri City Fire and Rescue Services staff for a free home safety inspection to check for fire and safety hazards, Campbell added. The city can also provide free smoke detectors to those in need.
In 2007, 399,000 home fires were reported in the United States, Campbell reported. On average, eight people die in home fires every day in the United States – accounting for 2,865 deaths and 13,600 injuries a year.
Home fires accounted for 84 percent of all fire deaths and $7.4 billion in property damage in 2007.
Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries, and have contributed to an almost 50 percent decrease in fire deaths since the late 1970s, according to the NFPA. The NFPA estimates that 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms.
