Fire Chief Links Clock Change To Life-Saving Safety Checks

As residents prepare to turn back their clocks on Sunday when Daylight Saving Time ends, City Fire Chief Chad Augustin wants families to use the time change as a reminder for potentially life-saving smoke detector maintenance and emergency drills.

Nearly three out of five home fire deaths — 59% — occur in properties where smoke alarms were missing or failed to operate, Augustin reports. He emphasizes the importance of checking both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when adjusting clocks for daylight saving time.

The Chief recommends testing alarms at least monthly and replacing batteries every six months, using clock changes as a built-in reminder for this crucial maintenance.

To complement working alarms, Augustin outlines a three-step family safety plan designed as a simple, reassuring way to prepare household members:

First, establish and review a safe meeting place outside the home. Children must understand they need to exit quickly when the smoke alarm sounds and gather at this designated spot.

Second, test smoke alarms with children present so they recognize the sound.

Third, conduct a timed evacuation drill starting with family members in their bedrooms. One adult should manage the drill and sound the alarm while others assist young children. Families should time their escape to the safety spot, aiming to complete evacuation within two minutes.

“If you all made it in under two minutes, you each get an imaginary gold medal,” Augustin says. “If not, give it another try.”

The Chief said that during actual emergencies, families should reach their safe meeting place before calling 911 and remain there until firefighters arrive.