Change your batteries with your clock

Jan Doherty, Public Education Officer, 509.625.7058

Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 6:31 a.m.

When you change your clocks back to Standard Time this weekend, Spokane Fire Department asks you to also check the condition of your smoke detectors.

In the past, the slogan was “Change Your Clock/Change Your Battery!” Now we recognize the importance of knowing the type of battery in the detector and the age of the detector itself.

  • Replace alkaline 9-volt batteries at least once a year or whenever they begin to chirp.
  • When long-life lithium batteries chirp, it means the detector itself needs to be replaced. Lithium batteries should last 10 years and smoke detectors must be replaced every 10 years.
  • To determine the age of smoke detectors, look for the date of manufacture on the back label of the detector itself.
  • When replacing smoke detectors, choose the PHOTOELECTRIC or dual-sensor PHOTO-ION type because they are more effective at detecting smoldering fires than the common ionization smoke alarm.

When you turn your clock back one hour this weekend, please make time to also check on the condition of the smoke detectors in your home. You need at least one working smoke detector on each level of the house, one outside each sleeping area and one in each bedroom.

About 2,800 persons died in home fires in the U.S. last year. Two of every three fatalities happened in homes that were not protected by a working smoke alarm.

For more information on smoke alarms, please call Spokane Fire Department at 509.625.7058.