Fire officials say to ‘spring forward’ with smoke alarm safety

JACKSON, Tenn. — Setting your clock forward isn’t the only household check West Tennesseans should make this weekend.

When it comes time to spring forward, fire officials across Tennessee say it’s a great opportunity to check your smoke alarm.

They recommend you check not only the batteries but also how old the alarm is. If you’ve had it longer than 10 years, experts say it’s time to swap out.

“Smoke alarms save lives. That is the most important thing about them,” City Fire Marshal Lamar Childress said. “They are an early warning indicator that there is fire inside of a structure.”

Nearly 80 percent of Tennessee’s fire deaths in 2015 took place in a home without a smoke alarm.