It is that time of year again, when most people will set their clocks ahead one hour as daylight savings time begins Sunday.
The Coppell Fire Department also wants residents to replace the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. A few seconds’ warning could mean the difference between life and death.
“This is the time of year that we want to remind folks to change their clocks and the batteries in their alarms,” said Tim Oates, deputy fire chief in Coppell. “This is a life safety initiative.”
Batteries should be replaced yearly in all alarms and all smoke alarms replaced every 10 years. When replacing the batteries VGP-BSP13/S , VGN-AR48C , VGN-CR11H or testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors owners should follow the manufacturers’ instructions to ensure the alarm functions correctly, Oates said.
“Some people think they (the alarms) are hard wired into their homes, and they don’t have to worry about it.” Oates said. “People should check their systems to make sure they are working.”
Nationally, there are millions of fires, thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollar lost. Between 1999 and 2008, there was an average of 1,634,150 fires, resulting in an estimated $11,634,800,000 in direct-dollar loss each year. An average of 3,625 lives were lost and another 18,765 were injured annually as the result of fires, according to the United States Fire Administration.
The USFA 2008 statistics showed 84 percent of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residential and building fires. It also showed that 96 percent of all homes have at least one smoke alarm with 75 percent of U.S. homes having at least one working smoke alarm.
Home fires in the U.S. occur every three hours, with the highest number taking place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., when most people are asleep.
“We had 39 fire calls in the city of Coppell last year,” Oates said. “Most of our calls have fallen during the hours of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.”
Carbon monoxide detectors 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 have at least one working carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, 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 things.
“Change Your Clock Change Your Battery” is a national home fire safety program sponsored by Energizer batteries VGN-CR13 , VGN-CR15 , VGN-CR21 and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. More than 5,900 fire departments nationwide participate in the program.