Change clocks, change batteries

Warwick - As the time change approaches on Sunday, Nov. 4, the Warwick Fire Department reminds residents to make another change that could save their lives - changing the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. An average of three children per day die in home fires and 80 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 is worn or missing batteries. Changing smoke alarm batteries is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke alarms every ten years. To save lives and prevent needless injuries, the Warwick Fire Department has joined forces with the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the 20th year of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, life saving habit: Changing smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when changing back to standard time each fall, this year on November 4th. “The peak time for home fire fatalities is between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping,” says Chief Bill DiMartini. “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 to safety.” In addition, the Warwick Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Team recommends residents use the extra hour they save from the time change to test their smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors by pushing the test button, planning “two ways out” and practicing escape routes with the entire family.