Fire officials urge smoke alarm checks as clocks fall back

Fire officials urge smoke alarm checks as clocks fall back

ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WFSB) - Fire officials are asking residents to check their smoke alarms when they set their clocks back one hour on Saturday night. Clocks fall back early Sunday morning, giving residents an extra hour of sleep.

Smoke alarm batteries

Many homes now have smoke alarms with 10-year batteries that may not need to be changed yet. However, fire officials said the time change is a marker on the calendar to make sure those alarms still work.

First responders said detectors with regular batteries should have the batteries changed at least once a year, and preferably twice. Daylight saving time can serve as the reminder.

Rocky Hill firefighters said smoke alarms save lives and give people a head start on getting everyone out of a home.

“With so many things being built and made out of the plastics and the oil-based materials, you get two, three minutes before a fire can really spread from its incipient stage to going very well and creating serious conditions and hazards,” said Doug Clarke, public information officer for the Rocky Hill Fire Department.

Carbon monoxide and garages

Fire officials also said residents wh...