Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are common features in our homes that are often taken for granted. They save lives as they alert us of developing fires, giving us precious time to respond and escape safely during a fire emergency. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms, and three out of five home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms at all. Additionally, the death rate per 1,000 home structure fires is 55 percent lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or alarms that fail to operate. The most common reason for smoke alarm failure during a fire emergency is a missing, dead, disconnected, or improperly installed battery. Most fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, not burns. 

Working smoke alarms help detect smoke and (CO) detectors help detect the presence of CO gas in the air. Although the use of (CO) detectors has grown in recent years, not everyone is familiar with the hazards associated with carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Often called the invisible killer, CO is a poisonous, odorless, and colorless gas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning, and approximately 50,000 people visit emergency rooms due to accidental CO poisoning every year. Just like smoke alarms, CO detectors should be placed on every level and in every bedroom of a home, near each sleeping area, where they can wake you if you are asleep.
While changing clocks this weekend, spring forward to protect yourself and your household from CO poisoning and fire by following these simple safety tips:

• Make sure your smoke alarms and (CO) detectors are in working order: Check and replace the batteries in all your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors twice a year when you change your clocks (fall backward, spring forward).
• Do your smoke alarms and (CO) detectors need to be replaced? For the best protection, be sure to replace any smoke alarms in your home that are older than 10 years and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors older than 5 years.
• Change all the batteries in the home: Change all the batteries in all electronics around the home such as clocks, thermostats, irrigation, outdoor lighting, phone accessories, and flashlights.
• Check inside the home and exterior storage areas for hazardous materials: Store flammable products properly and away from children. Designate a cool, dark indoor or outside storage area and properly discard any products or materials that are outdated, no longer in use, or in poor condition.
• Practicing your fire escape plan is vital when every second counts: Review your family fire escape plan with everyone in your household. It’s important to know at least two ways out of every room, making sure all the doors and windows are clear and open easily. Practice your escape plan twice a year to make sure that everyone will know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Get or replace your fire extinguisher: Always keep an ABC-rated home fire extinguisher nearby in case of an emergency, and make sure every member of your household knows how to use it properly.
• Review your family's emergency preparedness kit: Check to see what needs to be replaced or included in your home disaster supply kit.

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