Daylight Saving ends this weekend, which means we'll be seeing shorter days and earlier nights. Don't forget to set your clock back one hour Saturday night. It begins at 2 a.m. Sunday.
With daylight savings coming to an end in the next couple of days, the Reno Fire Department would like to remind residents that now is a good time to check their smoke alarms.
Reno Fire says this is a great time for residents to test and change the batteries in all of their home smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
They advise that even if you have "10-year smoke alarm batteries," you should at least check the batteries in your home once a month to ensure safety.
A warning sign that your batteries may be getting low is if your alarm begins chirping. If this happens, Reno Fire says homeowners should change their batteries right away.
“Smoke alarms save lives,” Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran said. “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.”
Following are some smoke alarm tips:
• A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home.
• Smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound.
• Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.
• Test your smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
• Today’s smoke alarms will be more technologically advanced to respond to a multitude of fire conditions, yet mitigate false alarms.
• When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.
Daylight Saving Time is another opportunity to check the furnace filters in your home, and replace them if necessary.
For information on smoke alarms and other fire safety information, contact the Reno Fire Prevention Bureau at 775-334-2300 or visit nfpa.org.
As a reminder, clocks will fall behind one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 4, 2018.
(The Reno Fire Department contributed to this report).
