Amador County – CAL-FIRE and the State Fire Marshal this week reminded people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms when they change their clocks this Saturday night for Daylight Saving Time. CDF fire prevention specialist Teri Mizuhara said: “When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.”

Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover said: “Working smoke alarms greatly reduce the likelihood of residential fire-related deaths.” Alarms are “critical because 85 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home, and the majority occurs at night when most people are sleeping.”

“Smoke alarms unquestionably help save lives, but a smoke alarm is nothing without a working battery,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, acting director of CAL FIRE. “Just a few minutes twice a year to change that battery can truly mean the difference between life and death.”

Helpful tips include testing smoke alarms once a month and replacing batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year. Mizuhara said never “borrow” or remove batteries from smoke alarms even temporarily; regularly vacuum or dust smoke alarms to keep them working properly; replace smoke alarms every 10 years; and don’t paint over smoke alarms. Practice family fire drills so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.