State Fire Marshal: Check smoke detectors when changing clocks

COLUMBUS – The end of daylight saving time at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7 serves as a reminder to not only move clocks back an hour but also test each of your smoke alarms.

State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon is urging all Ohioans to check their home’s smoke alarms regularly and replace when expired. “We see the life-saving impact properly functioning smoke alarms can have when the worst happens,” Reardon said. “Working smoke alarms save lives, cutting your risk of dying in a house fire in half.”

Along with making sure all smoke alarms have a fresh set of batteries, checking the expiration date is a crucial precaution for early fire detection. To find out how old a smoke alarm is, as well as its expiration date, look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. The smoke alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date. Any alarms with a manufacture date of 2011 or earlier should be replaced.

For improved protection, install smoke alarms on every level of the home and inside and outside of each sleeping area. Ohioans are also encouraged to develop an escape plan with two ways out and make sure every family member knows what to do and where to meet outside if the smoke alarm sounds. Taking the time to practice both a primary and secondary escape plan is vital for knowing what to do if a real emergency were to occur.

Smoke alarms save lives but only if they are working properly. See additional fire prevention resources at the State Fire Marshal website.

Ohio’s Division of State Fire Marshal is the oldest established office of its kind in the United States. The Division’s mission is to safeguard the public, its property and the environment from fire and related risks through education, regulation, investigation and enforcement.

The State Fire Marshal is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio’s chief regulatory agency.

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