When it comes time to change your clocks on Sunday, March 14, the Bismarck Fire Department wants to remind everyone to make another change that could save your lives - change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. An average of two children per day die in home fires and 80 percent of those deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke detectors is worn or missing batteries.
“Most fatal fires occur between 10 pm and 6 am while most families are sleeping” says Ron Kunda, Fire Marshal for the City of Bismarck. “Children and seniors are most at risk for home fire deaths and a working smoke detector can give them the extra time it takes to get out safely.”
The Bismarck Fire Department recommends these simple steps:
o Install a smoke detector in each bedroom and hallway and on each level of your home.
o Install carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home.
o Test the smoke detector once a month.
o If the smoke detector is older than ten years, replace it with a new one.
o Change the batteries twice a year, each time you change your clocks!!
o Don’t forget about your carbon monoxide detectors!!
o Vacuum out the dust from your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
o If your carbon monoxide detector is over five years old, replace it with a new one.
The Bismarck Fire Department would also like to remind you to have an escape plan in your home that includes two exits from each room and a safe meeting place outside the home. Be sure to practice the plan with your family so you can prepare for an emergency before it happens.
The Bismarck Fire Department encourages you to use this information to keep you and your family safe.
For more information call 701-355-1400.