Change Your Clock Change Your Battery- Help Save a Life

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and Energizer
Share a Life-Saving Reminder and Provide
Fire Safety Tips to Better Communities

Daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 3rd, and marks the 26th year of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® program, created by Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), which reminds people to check, change and test the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors during the fall time change. This message is simple and the habit can be lifesaving. Overall, almost 66 percent of home fire deaths in the U.S. occur in homes without working smoke alarms.

This fall, remember to check and change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, create, plan and practice a home escape plan and remind all of your friends and family to do the same!

Below are some simple home fire safety tips:

• Practice smoke alarm maintenance for a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths.
• A simple reminder from Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs: when you change your clocks, check and change the batteries in your smoke alarms. This can help save lives.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly to make sure they are working.
• Have at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your home.
• Plan, discuss and practice a home escape route with your family in case of a fire.
• Do not rely on your sense of smell to alert you to the danger of being trapped during a fire.
• Do not ignore the chirping sound your smoke alarm makes when maintenance is required.
• Keep fire-starting materials away from children, including lighters, matches, cigarettes, cigars and pipes.
• Use flashlights rather than candles to light your home during power outages.
• Portable space heaters need a three-foot clearance from anything that can burn and should be turned off when leaving your room or home. Carbon monoxide is sometimes called the “the silent killer.” It is colorless, odorless and tasteless.