Red Cross suggest you to TEST your smoke alarms as you TURN your clocks forward this weekend.
Daylight saving time begins on March 10 and the American Red Cross encourages everyone to test their smoke alarms as they turn their clocks forward to make sure the devices are working.
Last year, local Red Cross volunteers responded to help nearly 3,000 people in Nebraska and Iowa affected by almost 1,000 home fires, which account for most of the about 65,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually across the country.
SMOKE ALARMS When turning your clocks forward this weekend, test your smoke alarms and replace the batteries if needed. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to create and practice with your family, or download the free Red Cross Emergency app by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. Components such as sensors can become less sensitive over time. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.
Practice your two-minute home fire escape plan. Make sure everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to escape a burning home before it’s too late.
Include at least two ways to get out of every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet.
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVE LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,030 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.