Big Bear Valley, CA, November 1, 2013 – Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday at 2:00 a.m., when clocks should be turned back one hour to 1:00 a.m.
Here’s a smart way to use that “extra hour” we’ll gain on Sunday: test and change batteries on life saving devices like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and flashlights.
Every year at this time, the San Bernardino County Fire Department reminds residents that nearly a quarter of smoke alarm failures are due to dead batteries, and the majority of home fire fatalities are in homes with no working smoke alarms.
Not all alarms are alike. An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, while a photoelectric smoke alarm is more sensitive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, either install both types of alarms or a combination alarm that uses both technologies. There are even alarms that let you record a brief message for your children, alarms for the hearing impaired, and alarms that have built-in carbon monoxide detectors.
