In anticipation of Daylight Saving Time early Sunday morning, State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard is urging Marylanders to "Change Your Clock - Change Your Battery" in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in their homes. Recognizing that working smoke alarms and CO detectors double a family's chance of surviving a home fire and/or an unsafe carbon monoxide level, the State Fire Marshal says Daylight Saving Time is a great opportunity for families to change the batteries. "This simple step can help us avoid tragedies in the place we feel most secure – our homes."
Along with working smoke alarms and CO detectors, home escape plans are another way Marylanders can avoid injury or death in their homes. By identifying at least two different escape routes, families can practice the plan together - before an emergency strikes. Practicing the plan helps educate younger children to the danger of hazardous situations and the importance of recognizing that the sound of a smoke alarm or CO detector, signals a potential hazard in the home. "Changing the battery in your smoke alarms and CO detectors, along with developing and practicing a home escape plan, are the two best ways to protect your loved ones and yourself from fire," said Fire Marshal Barnard.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the State of Maryland dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and explosion through a comprehensive program of education, inspection, investigation, and fire protection engineering. For more information on fire and life safety, log on to our website at www.firemarshal.state.md.us
