State fire marshal advocates for battery changes when clocks reset over weekend

State fire officials say this weekend presents an ideal time to change smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries when clocks spring ahead as part of Daylight Savings Time.”This weekend, when we change our clocks, it’s a good time to change the batteries in our smoke and carbon monoxide alarms,” said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, referring to Sunday, March 14, when clocks are set one hour ahead. “The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when most families are sleeping.”Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths, said Coan, adding, “Children and senior citizens are most at risk and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely.”The fire marshal emphasized that many home smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms operate on battery power or have a battery back-up in case of power failure. Some devices run on 10-year lithium batteries that need changing only once per decade. “A working smoke alarm can double your family’s chance of surviving a fire,” said Coan. “When combined with a home escape plan that is actually practiced, the changes are greater.”