{"id":141041,"date":"2021-03-13T00:02:53","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T05:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=141041"},"modified":"2021-03-13T00:04:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-13T05:04:47","slug":"check-smoke-alarms-when-changing-clocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2021\/03\/13\/check-smoke-alarms-when-changing-clocks\/","title":{"rendered":"Check smoke alarm batteries this Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

VW independent\/submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s time to spring forward!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Sunday Daylight Savings Time begins in Ohio, with state residents moving their clocks ahead one hour that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to State Fire Marshal Kevin S. Reardon, though, Ohioans shouldn\u2019t just move their clocks forward one hour, they should also check to see if potentially life-saving devices in their home have expired — their smoke alarms. Those people with carbon monoxide detectors should also check the batteries in those devices as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with making sure all smoke alarms have a fresh set of batteries, checking the expiration date is crucial to practicing sound fire safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne person lost in a house fire is one too many, but we\u2019re continuing to see more than 100 Ohioans die every year,\u201d said Marshal Reardon. \u201cIn so many of these tragic cases, there are no working smoke alarms present. These life-saving devices can be the first warning sign of a fire, so it\u2019s incredibly important to have an adequate number of smoke alarms in your home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the greatest protection, install a smoke alarm on every level of the home and inside and outside of each sleeping area. Ohioans are also encouraged to develop an escape plan with two ways out and make sure every family member knows what to do and where to meet outside if the smoke alarm sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Even \u201csmart home\u201d alarms, and other alarms that are hardwired and interconnected throughout the home, have batteries as a fail-safe backup system and should be checked this weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To find a smoke alarm\u2019s age and expiration date, look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. Smoke alarms should be replaced 10 years from that date (not<\/em> from the date of purchase). Alarms with a manufacture date of March 12, 2011 or earlier should be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ohioans should change the batteries in their smoke alarms at least twice a year \u2013 at the beginning and end of daylight-saving time. Marshal Reardon offers these additional tips: <\/p>\n\n\n\n