Change Your Clock – Change Your Battery

KINGSPORT – The Kingsport Fire Department would like to encourage everyone to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks with the end of daylight savings time.

Smoke Alarms should be located inside bedrooms, outside each sleeping area, in living areas and on every floor of ones home including the basement.

In addition, a few minutes should be spent each and every month to test smoke detectors to ensure they are operational.

Working Smoke Alarms provide early warning of a fire, allows extra time to escape and as a result, substantially reducing the risk of injury and/or death in a residential fire.

If your Smoke Alarms are over 10 years old replace them with Dual Sensor Alarms (Photoelectric/Ionization Smoke Alarms) and install a 10year lithium battery.

Here are some other great tips for fire safety in your home:

• When cooking, never leave bard on a stove or in an oven unattended and avoid wearing clothes with long, loose-fitting sleeves.

• Have your heating system checked annually.

• If you are a smoker, do not smoke in bed, never leave burning cigarettes unattended, do not empty smoldering ashes in the trash and keep ashtrays away from upholstered furniture and curtains.

• Keep matches and lighters away from children.

• Safely store flammable substances.

• Never leave burning candles unattended.