(MIAMI, March 9, 2016) – Setting the clock forward means it’s time for a seasonal safety check. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) urges residents to change the batteries in their smoke alarms when clocks “spring forward” this Sunday, March 13, 2016.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors save lives; however, if the detectors are not powered by fresh batteries, this can potentially hinder their ability to alert you in case of an emergency.
A working smoke alarm can reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by approximately 50 percent, but it is estimated that one-third of them don’t work. Properly working smoke alarms provide an early warning of fire and extra time to escape it.
We ask that you’d also consider the following safety precautions:
- Smoke alarms older than ten years must be replaced
- CO alarms older than five years must be replaced
- Check contents of your family’s disaster preparedness kit to see if anything needs to be included or replaced
- Check inside the home and storage areas outdoors for hazardous materials. For those that are outdated, no longer in use or in poor condition, discard of them properly
- Change batteries in other electronics in the home such as clocks, thermostats, outdoor lighting, phone accessories, flashlights and portable electronics.
Remember, changing smoke alarm batteries while changing clocks twice a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce fire deaths and injuries.
For more information, please contact MDFR’s Media and Public Relations at 786-331-5212
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