Firefighters Getting Ready for Time Change this Sunday

 

Daylight savings time ends Sunday, Nov. 3, and marks the 26th year of the, “Change your Clock, Change your Battery” program, sponsored by Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The “Change your Clock, Change your Battery” program reminds us to change the batteries and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. The message is simple, and the habit can be lifesaving.

 

The Shumway Fire Protection District reminds our residents that one simple step can help save their life and the lives of those around them. Everyone is encouraged to use the extra hour they “gain” from daylight savings to change the batteries in their own smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, test the alarms and remind friends, family, neighbors and fellow community members to do the same.

 

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 alarms is worn or missing batteries. Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year; but, everyone can work together to help reduce the number of home fire fatalities.

 

“Eighty percent of child fire fatalities occur in homes without a working smoke alarms,” says Shumway Fire Battalion Chief Johnathon Paholke. “This is a tragic statistic that could be reduced by adopting the simple habit of the ‘Change your Clock, Change your Battery’ program.”

 

Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year, testing those alarms and reminding others to do the same are some of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries.

 

Children and senior citizens are the most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them extra seconds they need to get out safely. Battalion Chief Paholke recommends residents not only use the “extra” hour they save from the time change to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, but to also use this time to plan and practice escape routes with their families.

 

Typically, home fires injure and kill thousands each year. Those most at risk include 

 

• Children – Home fires kill 500 children ages 14 and under each year. 

 

• Seniors – Adults 75 and older are 2.8 times more likely to die in a home fire. 

 

• Low-Income Households – Many low-income families are unable to afford batteries for their smokes alarms. 

 

Remember, the peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 A.M. when most families are sleeping.

 

For more information about fire safety call 217-868-5202 or email jpaholke@shumwayfire.com, or for the “Change your Clock, Change your Battery” program hotline, call 314-727-5700, Ext 108, or e-mail cyccyb@blickandstaff.com