The Lee’s Summit Fire Department wants to remind everyone when they change their clock on Sunday, November 6th, make a change that could save your life - change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector.
Approximately 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home. The majority of these deaths occurred at night when people were asleep and in most cases in homes without working smoke alarms due to dead, missing or disconnected batteries. Having a smoke alarm on every level of the home, outside of sleeping rooms and in each bedroom, can reduce your risk of dying in a fire by providing early warning and critical seconds to escape - but only if they work.
To save lives and prevent needless injuries the Lee’s Summit Fire Departmenthas joined forces with Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when changing clocks back to standard time each fall, this year on November 6th. Don’t wait for the low battery alarm to go off before changing the battery. Most people are not prepared to replace the battery when the low battery alarm sounds and will disconnect it - leaving them and their family needlessly unprotected.
In addition to changing batteries, here are some tips to reduce your chances of being a fire victim:
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Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
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Test smoke alarms monthly.
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Make sure alarms can be heard throughout the home. Install additional alarms if needed per manufacturer’s instructions.
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Have an escape plan. Have at least two ways out of every room, making sure that all doors and windows can be opened without a key or special effort. Have a meeting place outside, and when you are out…stay out!
Take the hour gained by the time change and talk about fire safety with your family.
For more information about fire safety, contact the Lee’s Summit Fire Department at (816) 969-1300, or visit cityofls.net.
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