SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As you set the clocks back Sunday morning, it’s a good time to also test and inspect your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office says any broken or expired alarms should be replaced this weekend when we ‘fall back’, as Daylight Saving Time ends.
“The time change serves as a bi-annual reminder to test smoke alarms and review your family’s fire escape plans,” Acting Illinois State Fire Marshal Dale Simpson says. “As the cold weather months arrive, I encourage everyone to test and inspect smoke alarms and CO alarms more often. It’s simple: working smoke alarms save lives!”
The National Fire Protection Association reports that between 2014-2018, almost three out of five home fire deaths in the U.S. resulted from fires in homes with no smoke detectors, or non-working alarms.
“Be Alarmed!” is a fire safety education and smoke alarm installation program administered through the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. The program provides ten-year, concealed battery smoke alarms to Illinois residents through their local fire departments, and staff can aid with obtaining and installing alarms.
In Illinois, working smoke detectors are required by law on every floor of your home and within 15 feet of every bedroom.
To learn more about the “Be Alarmed!” program, click HERE.
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 6, at 2 a.m.
