It’s that time of the year to replace smoke alarm batteries

JACKSON, Tenn. — No one likes being late for work or missing a lunch date because they forgot to turn ahead those pesky clocks, but local firefighters remind people of another daylight savings tradition that could result in even dire consequences; changing the batteries in your smoke detector.

“It is the most important thing for you to have in your house as far as protecting yourself, because it never sleeps. It’s always looking out for you as long as long as it’s working properly,” said Captain Randy Hayes of the Jackson Fire Department.

This can be done by customarily changing your batteries once a year during daylight savings.

“The smoke detector will alert you that the battery is going down by a chirp. Most people get very tired of the chirp. They take the battery out. They forget to put one back in it,” Captain Hayes said.

The captain reminds you to also check them on a monthly basis.

“And then push the button to test it to know that it works,” demonstrated the captain.

Experts say this little piece of equipment can mean a matter of life or death, cutting the risk of dying in a house fire in half.

“The first day of every month, just get in the habit of testing it,” said Hayes, “and then you know you’re covered and better safe then sorry.”

And firefighters have seen it save more than just lives.

“They wound up losing one room of their house versus their entire house, so the smoke detector not only saved their lives, it saved their property too,” Hayes said.

So go ahead and check your smoke alarms right now. It only takes a minute.

“It just can’t be stressed enough that something so simple is so vital not to forget,” Hayes said.

Firefighters say you should have at least one smoke alarm on every floor and in every bedroom. They also say it’s safest to sleep with your bedroom door shut. The captain also says it’s important for you and your family to have a fire escape plan, along with a designated gathering area.

Jackson firefighters say if you do not have a smoke alarm in your home, you can contact your local fire department and they will come out and install one for you.