Don’t Forget – Spring Forward and Check Safety Devices.

These days, most of the clocks in our cars and on our phones will change automatically twice a year for Daylight Saving Time. Yes, there may be a watch, coffee maker or oven clock that still needs to be adjusted the old fashioned way, but for the most part, automation is doing the heavy lifting when it comes to to this semiannual chore. One aspect of Daylight Saving Time that needs a human touch is accounting for all of the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home and making sure that they are in proper working order. That job is still up to all of us!

On Sunday, March 10th, as we all grimace at the idea of one less hour of our weekend, we do need to make time to change the batteries in our smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. In the past few decades, this has become a useful tradition associated with daylight savings. Most safety experts contend that this safety check is one of the best ways to keep families safe from carbon monoxide and decrease exit times during fire emergencies in the home. Campaigns like this have led to great results in safety over the last several decades in American homes. Would you believe that the average time to exit a home during a fire used to be has high as 17 minutes? This is because many more people used to have to be saved from upper level windows. Changes to home building design and materials as well as materials used in furniture have greatly reduced exit times to under three minutes. The increased presence of working detectors in homes has made a tremendous impact as well! Regrettably, just over half of homeowners report to having checked their detectors in the last six months nationwide. Be a part of those who participate on the side of safety this March 10th and be sure to check your devices when you Spring Forward!