Officials to Wethersfield Residents: Make Smoke Detector Testing Part of the Fall Routine

When the clocks change, so should the smoke detector batteries, local fire officials and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said this week.

The batteries should be changed and the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors need to be tested as part of the routine when the clocks change to standard time in the fall and daylight saving time in the spring, officials said. The changeover was Sunday.

Here are a few tips offered by local and federal authorities:

• Some people especially children and older adults may need help to wake up. Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing cannot depend on the sound of the regular alarm to alert them to a fire. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should use alarms with strobe (flashing) lights and bed shakers that have been tested by an independent testing laboratory. The alarms for sleeping areas with strobe lights are required to be of a special high intensity that can wake a sleeping person or you can install bed shakers.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Larger homes may need more alarms. For the best protection, install interconnected smoke alarms in your home. When one sounds, they all sound.
• Replace your alarms every 10 years or sooner depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. Change batteries as directed by the manufacturer. Set a reminder on your smartphone to test all your alarms monthly; immediately replace any alarms that do not pass the test.
• When the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Go to your outside meeting place. Remember, practice makes perfect – conduct fire drills and practice escape plans with your family.
• Call 911 from a cellphone or a neighbor’s phone. Stay outside until authorities say it’s safe to go back inside.
• The same goes for carbon monoxide detectors.

Here are some links:

Review: Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

Review: Fire Safety Checklist for Homeowners and Renters

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel