Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 a.m. As you set your clocks back an hour, Rutherford County Fire Rescue wants to remind you to also change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

“If you do not have smoke alarms with a ten-year lithium battery, batteries should be changed in each unit twice a year,” said Fire Inspector/Investigator Joshua Sanders. “For that reason, the time change serves as a perfect reminder.” Even hard-wired smoke alarms have battery-backup, and those batteries should be replaced regularly as well.

Sanders also mentioned that all smoke alarms have a typical lifespan of 10 years. “After that, they should be replaced with a new unit.”

“It is critical for Rutherford County residents to have working smoke alarms in their homes,” said Sanders. “Nationwide, the majority of fatal house fires occurred in homes that did not have working smoke alarms. Being prepared with working alarms can cut your family’s risk of a fire death in half.”

RCFR installs smoke alarms for County residents free of charge. To learn more, visit firerescue.rutherfordcountytn.gov or call the Admin Office at 615-867-4626.