Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries

The Garden City Volunteer Fire Department joins fire departments nationwide in promoting the annual Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery campaign on Sunday, November 3, 2019.

While modern technology has made it such that we don't need to turn back every clock in the house, you should change the batteries in your smoke & carbon monoxide detectors.

Chief Thomas Strysko encourages all residents to adopt the simple, life-saving habit of changing smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks back from daylight savings time to standard time. “It’s an easy, inexpensive, and proven way to protect your family and your home,” said Chief Strysko.

Surveys conducted for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Consumer Products Safety Commission found that 96% of all homes have at least one smoke alarm, but only 75% have at least one working smoke alarm. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with either no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. Smoke alarm failures usually result from missing or dead batteries or disconnected wires.

According to the NFPA, the maximum life cycle of a smoke alarm is 10 years from the date of manufacture, not the date of installation. Beginning in 2002, all smoke alarms must have a manufacture date marked on the outside of the smoke alarm. If your smoke alarm does not have a manufacture date or if you’ve had it for more than ten years, it needs to be replaced. All smoke alarms should be tested monthly.

Ten-year smoke alarms require little maintenance, and unlike alarms with removable batteries, they are nearly impossible to deactivate. Regardless of the type of alarm in one’s home, GCFD recommends cleaning all alarms to remove any debris that might impede their function and to test the batteries, changing them if necessary.

Smoke & CO alarm tips:

• Test alarms at least once a month by using the test button.
• If you have an alarm with a removable battery, be sure to check the batteries every six months, and change the batteries every year. If a battery is starting to lose its power, the unit will usually chirp to warn you. Do NOT disable the unit.
• Vacuum or blow out any dust that might have accumulated in the unit.
• NEVER borrow a battery from an alarm to use somewhere else.
• NEVER paint a smoke or CO alarm.
• Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home, including the basement, and in, or near each sleeping area.
• Smoke alarms should not be installed near a window because drafts could interfere with their operation.
• Families should also develop and practice a home fire escape plan.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing smoke alarms and replacing the batteries.

For more information on smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and other information on fire safety and prevention, visit www.gcfdny.com and www.nfpa.org.