SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office says it’s a good time to check your smoke alarms.
State Fire Marshal Spokesperson J-C Fultz says that reminder applies to both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
“You want to make sure the expiration dates are still current on there…most smoke alarms have a life span of about ten years. So, if you find a broken alarm, or an expired alarm, you need to replace it now,” Fultz said.
He adds, “We really encourage everyone to test them monthly, but it’s a nice reminder to test when we’re changing our clocks.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost three out of every five home fire deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to fires where either the smoke alarms didn’t work, or weren’t installed at all.
“The best way to test a smoke alarm is to hit that test button on the smoke alarm. If nothing happens, then either the smoke alarm is bad, or we need to be replacing the battery,” Fultz said.
