Salisbury Fire Department, Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs with an Important Reminder: November 7, Change Your Clock Change Your Battery®
November 5, 2010 — Daylight-saving time ends Sunday, November 7, and marks the 23rd anniversary of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® (CYCCYB) program, sponsored by Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, which reminds us to change and test the batteries in our smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. This message is simple and the habit can be lifesaving.
The Salisbury Fire Department reminds our residents that one easy step can help save their lives and the lives of those around them. Everyone is encouraged to use the extra hour they “gain” from daylight-saving time to change the batteries in their own smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, test the alarms and remind friends, family, neighbors and fellow community members to do the same.
Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year, but, everyone can work together to help reduce the number of home fire fatalities. Approximately every three hours a home fire death occurs somewhere in the nation and 66 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries. “Eighty percent of child fire fatalities occur in homes without working smoke alarms. It’s a tragic statistic that could be reduced by adopting the simple habit of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program,” says
Melissa Brown, Public Information Officer for the Salisbury Fire Department. Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year, testing those alarms and reminding others to do the same are some of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends that smoke alarms in homes should be replaced every 10 years and having both ionization and photo electric smoke alarms are best to alert people to all types of home fires.
“The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are sleeping,” says Brown. “Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely.”
In addition, Brown recommends residents not only use the “extra” hour they save from the time change to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and to plan and practice escape routes, but also to make sure fellow neighbors and community members do the same. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.
For more information, go to www.energizer.com or www.salisburyfd.com. If you or someone you know is in need of a working smoke alarm, please contact your local fire department.
