Yonkers, NY -- When you change the clocks back this weekend, don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, too. It can make a difference in surviving a home fire.
“Avoid becoming one of the hundreds of fatalities that occur every year in this country from a simple oversight,” said County Executive Andy Spano. “Get in the habit of changing the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every time you change your clocks in the spring and the fall. It is an easy thing to do and it can mean the difference between life and death.”
According to Westchester County Fire Coordinator John Jackson, having a smoke alarm doubles a family’s chances of escaping and surviving a home fire, but only if it works.
“Changing the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors is not always at the top of our list,” says Jackson. “In fact, 96 percent of our homes have smoke alarms but only 19 percent of those alarms are functioning due to dead or missing batteries.”
Daylight savings time ends this Sunday (Nov. 1) at 2 a.m. when clocks are set back one hour to become 1 a.m. local standard time.
