Change Your Clock, Change Your Smoke Alarm Battery

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 2 and as you turn your clocks back, the Prince William County Fire and Rescue System would like to remind residents to change the battery in their smoke alarms. When properly installed and maintained, working smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury and loss due to fire. You double your chances of surviving a home fire with working smoke alarms compared to homes without working smoke alarms. (Smoke Alarms Save Lives).

National Estimates - Residential Fires & Losses

• 344,600 home structure fires occurred, resulting in 10,400 injuries, 2,890 deaths, and over $11 million in property loss.
• Cooking was the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, while smoking materials were the leading cause of home fire deaths.

SAFETY TIPS

Smoke Alarms

Deadly house fires often occur late at night and early morning (11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.) when individuals are sleeping. Therefore, it is imperative that smoke alarms be properly installed and maintained to protect against injury and the loss of life. To keep you and your family safe follow these life-saving smoke alarm tips:

• Place a smoke alarm on every level of your home, including the basement, in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
• Test smoke alarms monthly by pushing the test button. If you cannot reach the button easily, use a broom handle.
• When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Call 911 once you’re safely outside.
• DO NOT remove the batteries from your smoke alarms to put in other appliances.
• Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years or sooner if they don’t respond when testing:
  • For smoke alarms with a non-replaceable battery, replace the entire smoke alarm if it begins chirping.
  • For smoke alarms with regular batteries, replace the batteries once a year when you change your clocks, fall back, spring forward, or before if the battery starts to chirp.
• Smoke alarms should be interconnected, so when one alarm sounds, they all do.

Smoke Alarms for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

There are specially designed smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing. It’s vital this audience is aware of the availability of these types of smoke alarm devices as well as the importance of a proper escape plan. For more information on smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing, visit the Hearing and Loss Association of America www.hearingloss.org/.

 

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

• Place a CO alarm on every level of your home, including the basement, in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
• Test CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door.
• A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors, and vent openings.
• During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.

Additional Safety Tips

We urge families to develop and practice regularly a home fire escape plan and be sure everyone in your household knows what the smoke alarm sounds like, what to do, and where to go in the event there is a fire.

For more information on smoke alarm and carbon monoxide safety, visit the National Fire Protection Association https://www.nfpa.org and the U.S. Fire Administration https://www.usfa.fema.gov/.

For additional information on home fires, visit NFPA’s Home Structure Fires (August 2025),

Fire Loss in the United States (November 2024), Smoke Alarms in US Home Fires (June 2024), and U.S. Fire Administration’s Residential Building Fire Causes (2014 – 2023).