The fire departments of Cannon County and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) reminds everyone to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when setting their clocks back one hour Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, at 2 a.m. (CDT) when daylight saving time ends.
“Smoke alarms have proven to save lives in the event of a home fire—but only if they are working,” said Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. “As daylight saving time ends, we encourage Tennesseans to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.”
Most fatal fires occur at night while the victims are sleeping. The smoke and toxic gases generated by a fire can cause people to sleep more deeply which lessens the likelihood of surviving a fire. A working smoke alarm can double the chances of survival by increasing the amount of time persons have to escape fires in their homes.
To help ensure the safety of you and your loved ones, it is recommended that you replace the batteries twice a year in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. This reduces the chance of alarms chirping to indicate low batteries. All too often, a battery is removed and not replaced, putting a home’s occupants at risk. There’s no way to predict when a fire will occur, so even one night without an operational smoke alarm can be dangerous.
