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One Simple Change Can Save Lives

By Joel Hardy

10/29/2013

(KAIR)--The end of Daylight Savings time is just a few days away, and the Atchison Fire Department is advising everyone to change more than their clocks this Sunday. They say that taking just a few moments to change the batteries in your smoke alarm could save your life.

According to a press release from the department, an average of 3 children a day die in home fires and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working alarms. Worn or missing batteries are the most common cause of non working alarms. Working alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke alarms every ten years.

Atchison Fire Chief Mike McDermed says that the peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10:00Pm and 6AM when most people are sleeping. Fire alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce these fatalities. He further says that children and senior citizens are most at risk, and that a working alarm can give them the extra time they need to escape a fire.

Chief McDermed also recommends residents use the extra hour gained from the end of daylight savings time to test the smoke alarms in their home. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes a working flashlight and fresh batteries.

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