When time changes this weekend, fall back into fire prevention
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Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 1, as daylight savings time comes to an end.
And while you're at it – replace your smoke alarm batteries, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs urges.
A new national fire safety survey indicates that Canadian households are paying less attention to the important practice of replacing smoke alarm batteries on a regular basis.
The eighth annual Duracell Fire Safety Survey, conducted in partnership with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), shows that just 57 per cent of homes changed smoke alarm batteries at least once in the past year as recommended. That is down from 66 per cent in the 2008 survey.
“A working smoke alarm is the first line of defence and crucial for home fire safety today,” said Bruce Burrell, president of the CAFC.
The CAFC recommends changing smoke alarm batteries at least once each year and suggests households get into the habit of changing alarm batteries when resetting their clocks each fall with the end of daylight savings time, this year on Sunday, Nov. 1. Getting into that habit eliminates the common problem of forgetting when batteries were last changed or when new ones are needed, says the CAFC.
“Making sure home smoke alarms get fresh batteries every time we turn our clocks back each fall is the best way to ensure that smoke alarms are ready to work in any emergency,” said Burrell.
For more information on how to prepare your family in the event of a home fire, visit www.duracellfiresafety.com
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