It’s time to move the clocks forward one hour, and the Coppell Fire Department wants citizens to change their smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries on Sunday, March 10. 

“Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths,” said Coppell Fire Chief Kevin Richardson. “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.”

Nationally recognized statistics say that somewhere in the United States a fatal home fire occurs every three hours, and that two-thirds of these occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. 

“The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when most families are asleep,” says Chief Richardson. 

A working smoke alarm and an escape plan can improve the odds of getting family members out safely.

“Eighty percent of child fire fatalities occur in homes without working smoke alarms,” said Richardson. “It is a tragic statistic that could be reduced by adopting the simple habit of changing your smoke alarm battery when you change the time on the clocks in your home.”

Homes should also have carbon monoxide alarms and the batteries should be changed during the same time. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas. Low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning cause symptoms similar to those of the flu or a cold. Higher levels of poisoning lead to dizziness, mental confusion and severe headache among other issues.

Carbon monoxide alarms are designed to sound an alert before the exposure to carbon monoxide would present a hazard to a healthy adult. Experts recommend that every home with natural gas appliances or an attached garage should have at least one working carbon monoxide alarm.

Now is also a good time to test your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm by following the manufacturers’ instructions for testing. And, all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after ten years.

Story courtesy of the City of Coppell