Clocks fall back November 1 — fire officials say it is the perfect moment for a two-minute safety ritual.
Test Every Alarm
Press the test button on each alarm once a month — a unit with a dead battery is the same as no alarm at all. The National Fire Protection Association has long promoted the fall time change as the reminder: change your clock, change your battery.
Replace the Batteries
For alarms with replaceable batteries, swap them yearly or the moment one starts chirping. Sealed 10-year lithium-battery models never need a battery change — just the monthly test. Either way, the NFPA says, never remove a battery to silence a nuisance alarm.
Know the 10-Year Rule
Smoke alarms expire: NFPA’s fire code requires replacement at least every 10 years from the manufacture date on the back. After a decade, failure risk climbs to about 30 percent, the NFPA reports. This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, October 9 through 15, is “Don’t Wait — Check the Date.”
Place Them Right
Install alarms on every level, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas. The NFPA recommends interconnected alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound. A hallway alarm alone, experts say, may not wake a closed-door sleeper in time.
Sources: National Fire Protection Association