Change Your Clocks - CHECK Your Smoke Alarms This Weekend

It's that time of year again when we "Fall Back" and change clocks (unless your clocks do it automatically)! Here are our Top Eight Tips to remember when it comes to smoke alarms and fire safety this weekend:

1. It is indisputable that smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms are the best and least expensive way to provide an early warning system to alert you and your family to a potential fire emergency. Smoke alarms are designed to detect a fire in its early stages and alert people so they have time to safely escape.

2. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home.

3. For the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected. What does that mean? When one sounds they all sound alerting you to an emergency early on and giving you critical time to escape. New construction requirements have included hard- wired smoke alarms with battery back-ups since the 1980's. 

4. Nothing lasts forever - including smoke alarms. Smoke alarms become less reliable with time, primarily due to aging of their electronic components making them more susceptible to nuisance false alarms. Replace entire smoke alarm units every 10 years or sooner if they don't respond properly when tested. Why? The sensor wears out and may not activate in an emergency putting your family at risk. Always read the manufacturer’s recommendations as some models recommend replacement every 5-7 years.

5. Never (ever) paint over a smoke alarm. It will affect the operation of the smoke alarm, potentially disabling it.

6. Test your alarms once a month by pressing the test button.

7. Clean your smoke alarm once a month when you test it. Smoke alarms get clogged with dust build-up which may affect performance.

8. If your alarm “chirps” it may be time to change the back-up battery in your hard-wired alarm. Since 2018, Maryland law has required all battery-only smoke alarms (permitted in homes built b/f 1975) to have a sealed,10-year long-life battery in the unit so any "chirping" in these units is likely signaling that you need to replace the smoke alarm with a new one. 

Today's home safety and security technology has evolved beyond smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Many families rely on household devices connected to the internet or smartphones to enhance safety and security. New technology can even notify you when the alarm is activated or if the battery is low. Take time this weekend to ensure your family has a fire safety plan. Practice it with a Home Fire Drill to ensure everyone knows what to do in an emergency. 

What Time Is It?

Time to CHANGE your clocks & CHECK your smoke alarms this weekend
   

Simple task can be a potentially life-saving one!

Daylight savings time ends November 6^th and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is asking all residents to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working when they change their clocks this weekend.   

“Home fires injure and kill thousands every year,” said Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.  “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. I encourage everyone to test their smoke alarms, replace any alarms that are 10 years or older and conduct a home fire drill this weekend.”

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A working smoke alarm dramatically increases the chance for survival and provides advance warning of a fire resulting in more time to react and put a home escape plan into action. 

Help keep your family safe by following these fire safety tips:

1.      Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, and in all sleeping areas.

2.     Do you know if your smoke alarm is impacted by Maryland’s new law? Battery-only smoke alarms need to be replaced by 1/1/2018 with new smoke alarms that have sealed in, 10-year long life batteries.   

3.      Retire old smoke alarms and replace with new ones every 10 years. Like any electronic device, smoke alarms wear out over time and need to be replaced. The life expectancy of smoke alarms is 10 years. Smoke alarms work by sensing smoke particles and after 10 years, the smoke sensors lose their sensitivity. The test button only confirms that the battery, electronics and alerting system are working; not that the smoke sensor is working.

4.      Plan and practice home fire drills regularly. Decide in advance who will help family members that may need assistance escaping (young children, older adults or people with disabilities).        

6.      Make sure children recognize the sound of your smoke alarm and how to respond to its signal.

7.      Know your battery type. Sealed smoke alarms equipped with 10-year batteries are becoming more common and the batteries do not need to be replaced if they are sealed into the unit. Check your smoke alarms to see what type of battery it uses. While 10-year, long-life batteries do not need to be replaced annually, the entire smoke alarm unit does need to be replaced every ten years.Hard-wired smoke alarms, not affected by the new law, should have a battery backup and like all smoke alarm units need to be replaced every 10 years.

Got questions? Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service conducts free home safety checks of smoke alarms for residents at no cost. Please call 311 for information or visit our website for info as well as year-round safety information at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe. 

It Only Takes ONE To Save Your Life!

It is that time of year again! While testing your smoke alarms should be a monthly occurrence, at the minimum, we here at MCFRS want to make extra sure that you take time this weekend to do so. So as you think about the hour of sleep you will GAIN this weekend please also think how this would be a very good time to make sure critical life safety devices in your home are working properly.

Just before you move that clock hand back an hour also make sure you push the test button on the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm(s). If not working, please replace the battery -- unless it is a sealed 10 year lithium battery at which point you will have to get a new alarm.

Also remember that if your smoke alarm is 10 years of age, or older, it needs to be replaced

What Time is It 2015

That Time Of Year Again! Change Your Clock And Check Your Smoke Alarm Battery!

It is that time of year again! While testing your smoke alarms should be a monthly occurrence, at the minimum, we here at MCFRS want to make extra sure that you take time today to do so. So as you think about the hour of sleep you will lose tonight please also think that this would be a very good time to make sure critical life safety devices in your home are working properly.

Just before you move that clock hand forward an hour also make sure you push the test button on the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm(s). If not working, please replace the battery -- unless it is a sealed 10 year lithium battery at which point you will have to get a new alarm.

Also remember that if your smoke alarm is 10 years of age, or older, it needs to be replaced.

What Time Is It-2015

It Only Takes ONE To Save Your Life

What Time Is It-2015

What Time Is It?

Time to change your clock and check your smoke alarm this weekend!

Simple task can be a potentially life-saving one 

Daylight savings time ends November 3rd and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is urging all residents to check the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when they change their clocks this weekend to ensure they are working. “Home fires injure and kill thousands every year,” said Fire Chief Steven Lohr. “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. I encourage everyone to test their smoke alarms, replace any alarms that are 10 years or older and conduct a home fire drill this weekend.”

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A working smoke alarm dramatically increases the chance for survival and provides advance warning of a fire resulting in more time to react and put a home escape plan into action. 

Help keep your family safe by following these fire safety tips:

1.      Install smoke alarms on all levels of your home, including the basement.

2.      Test smoke alarms each month to ensure they are working. Replace batteries annually, as needed.

3.      Plan and practice home fire drills regularly. Decide in advance who will help family members that may need assistance escaping (young children, older adults or people with disabilities).

4.      Retire old smoke alarms and replace with new ones every 10 years, as recommended by the manufacturer. Haven’t replaced your alarms since 2003? It’s time!  Smoke alarms do not last forever and units that are 10 years old are near the end of their service life and need to be replaced.

5.      Make sure children recognize the sound of your smoke alarm and how to respond to its signal.

6.      Maryland is one of the most recent states to require homeowners replace battery-only operated smoke alarms with units powered by sealed, long-life batteries by January 1, 2018. Smoke alarm technology has advanced over the years and the recent legislative update to Maryland’s Smoke Alarm Law is part of a nationwide trend to ensure future smoke alarm replacements possess this new technology. Visit our website for more information.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service will provide and install smoke alarm batteries at no cost to residents and will provide and install smoke alarms for residents that cannot afford them. Please call 311 for information and be sure to bookmark our website for year-round safety information at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe and sign up to follow us on twitter. 

Fire Chief Steven Lohr provides an important reminder below:

Fire Chief Reminds Residents: When You Change Your Clocks This Weekend, Don’t Forget to Check Your Smoke Alarm Batteries!

Daylight savings time begins March 10th and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is urging all residents to take time to check the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when they change their clocks this weekend to ensure they are working.

“Home fires injure and kill thousands every year,” said Fire Chief Richard Bowers. “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. I encourage everyone to test their smoke alarms, replace any alarms that are 10 years or older and conduct a home fire drill this weekend.”

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A working smoke alarm dramatically increases the chance for survival and provides advance warning of a fire resulting in more time to react and put a home escape plan into action.  Help keep your family safe by following these fire safety tips:

1. Install smoke alarms on all levels of your home, including the basement.

2. Test smoke alarms each month to ensure they are working. Replace batteries annually, as needed.

3. Plan and practice home fire drills regularly. Decide in advance who will help family members that may need assistance escaping (young children, older adults or people with disabilities).

4. Retire old smoke alarms and replace with new ones every 10 years, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

5. Make sure children recognize the sound of your smoke alarm and how to respond to its signal.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service will provide and install smoke alarm batteries at no cost to residents and will provide and install smoke alarms for residents that cannot afford them. Please call 311 for information and be sure to bookmark our website for year-round safety information at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe and sign up to follow us on twitter @mcfrs.

Spreading The Word Of Safety

By Captain Pete Corte
MCFRS Fire Station #7

As a way to get out the word about checking smoke detectors; the fire fighters of Montgomery County, Chevy Chase Company 7 went to the CC Supermarket today to pass out reminder flyers about checking detectors and turning back the clock! Company 7 and the check out girls wearing their "fire helmets" passed out flyers as the patrons purchased groceries.

It Only Takes ONE To Save Your Life!

Feel free to download, print out, and hand out to friends, family, and neighbors!  Spread the word of fire safety.  Also feel free to forward along electronically via email, facebook, Twitter, etc!
What Time is It Color