On Sunday November 3, 2013 San Bernardino County Fire is asking residents of San Bernardino County to test and change batteries.

We all know it is getting darker, we all know it’s time to change our clocks, and hopefully we all remember that we need to change the batteries in our life saving devices – smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, flashlights, etc.

On Sunday November 3, 2013 San Bernardino County Fire is once again asking residents of San Bernardino County to test and change batteries, but we are also asking for all homeowners to review their home escape plan with their families. Being prepared and having the right equipment can mean the difference between being safe or being a victim.

When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead. Almost one-quarter of the smoke alarm failures was due to dead batteries. Smoke alarms save lives. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. When a fire occurs and smoke starts to spread you need to remember that it is: hot, dark, you have NO time to waste, and the smoke and toxic gasses can kill you.

An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, either types of alarms or a combination alarm (photoelectric and ionization) should be installed in homes. Knowing the needs of your family will help make the decision process easier as there are recordable alarms (you record a brief message for your child/family), alarms for hearing impaired, and alarms that combine technology with carbon monoxide detectors.

Have a plan, practice, and get the right devices for your family. A person can be poisoned by a small amount of carbon monoxide (CO) over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time. Make sure to review with your family the different sounds between your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and practice escape plans at different times of the day/night.

For more life safety information, visit our website at www.sbcfire.org.

Source: SBC Fire Dept. news release