As residents prepare to turn back the clocks Sunday, Columbus Fire and Rescue wants to remind residents to make another change that could save lives.
Columbus firefighters are asking citizens to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
According to a press release from Columbus Fire and Rescue, a home fire death occurs each three hours in the United States, and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
“The most common cause of non-working smoke alarms are worn or missing batteries,” the release states. “Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries.”
Columbus Fire and Rescue has teamed up with Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the “Change your clock, Change your battery” campaign, which only wants residents to make one extra change and keep everyone safe.
“This is the easiest time to remember. You’re changing your clocks anyway,” Columbus Fire Chief Ken Moore said. “The program itself is just to remind people. If you will do it this time a year each year, you won’t have to worry about it.”
Considering the weather is getting colder and heaters are being used more, this is “fire season,” Moore said.
“We’re coming into fire season when it’s cold and heaters are turned on and everything else, so this is the time to do it,” he said.
“The danger of not doing it is when you need it the most, it won’t be working. Most people have a smoke detector but the battery is out or taken out or whatever.”
To help residents, all Columbus fire stations will have smoke alarm battery exchange events during the month of November. If residents bring their nine-volt battery to any fire station, it will be exchanged for a new one.
“We push it hard at this time of the year, but we keep batteries year round for the purpose of fixing smoke detectors and such,” Moore said.
For more information on the campaign and getting batteries exchanged, call 662-329-5121.
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