Change your clocks, change your batteries

MARQUETTE — As we say goodbye to daylight saving time this weekend, it’s a great time to accomplish another important task.

Fire protection experts recommend that you make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in full working order while you’re setting your clocks back.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, seventy-one percent of smoke alarm failures result from missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. Making this time of year a traditional time to change your detectors’ batteries could reduce the risk of injury or death in a home fire.

“Well we want to make sure that residents change their batteries in their smoke detectors twice a year, so the NFPA decided change your clocks, change your batteries would be good way to go about that. We’re recommending that everyone changes their batteries when they change their clocks in the spring and fall,” said Marquette City Fire Department Fire Inspector, Tom Dunleavy.

Having working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is only one part of playing it safe. Firefighters say having a home fire escape plan and practicing it with the whole family is essential. Daylight saving time ends on Sunday at 2:00 a.m.