Daylight Saving Time Prompts Smoke Detector Safety

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Daylight saving time ends this Sunday and while clocks are being set back by one hour, area residents are being reminded to check on other household devices. The Zanesville Fire Department is encouraging the public to change the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors this weekend; using daylight saving time as a reminder to do so.

Jacob Dalrymple, with the Zanesville Fire Department, says changing the batteries can save lives.

“So, it’s important to remember to change out your batteries in your smoke detectors. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 3 out of every 5 fatal fires are caused by either a faulty smoke detector or one that has been–the battery has died in.”

While most human senses are inactive during sleep, one can still hear alarms clearly. This means it is easy to sleep through a fire or carbon monoxide event if your home does not have detectors.

“It’s a fairly big deal. If you don’t have one, it’s pretty well a hard thing to detect. So, you could just–you really just wouldn’t wake up one day because of it.”

Free smoke detectors are available to the public at all fire departments in the city; one per household.