Change the Clock, Change the Batteries

As residents make sure to turn the clocks forward one hour this weekend, the Newport Beach Fire Department says it's also the time to make sure smoke alarms are up to par.

Every year, smoke alarms save hundreds of lives. Whether you're awake or asleep, the smoke alarm is constantly working and scanning the air for smoke and fire, provided it has good batteries in it.

Jennifer Schulz, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire Department, says last year there were 199 fires in Newport Beach. Across the nation there was an estimated yearly average of 386,300 residential fires resulting in nearly 2,400 deaths between 2006 and 2008, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Two-thirds of those fire deaths occurred in homes where there were no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. 

That's why the Newport Beach Fire Department urges residents to change the batteries in smoke alarms during daylight saving time and to test the alarms every month. Schulz said maintaining smoke alarms is a lifesaving habit that all residents should acquire.

"Once the batteries have been replaced, be sure to test the alarms," Schulz said. "This simple act will help protect you and your family in the event of a fire." 

Most residential structure fires occur between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., therefore, early detection of these fires is usually the key to survival. It has also been proven that the sounds of the smoke alarms give people time to escape, thereby cutting the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

Some Quick Tips:

• Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your house, as well as inside and outside of bedrooms.

• Smoke alarm batteries should be changed at least twice a year.

• Don't borrow batteries from one smoke alarm to put them in another one.

• Smoke alarms don't last forever. If yours are more than 10 years old, it's time to replace them.