CHANGING CLOCKS AND CHANGING SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES, NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT USED TO BE, BUT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS EVER!
Posted: March 8th, 2010 7:46 PM
Fire Departments across Oregon are urging residents to check their smoke alarms when changing their clock to Daylight Savings Time Sunday, March 14th.
The tricky part is, many Oregonians have smoke alarms with ten-year batteries so the old saying, 'Change your clock, change your batteries' may not be correct for many households.
Smoke alarm laws in Oregon are different from most other states. Since 1999, Oregon law requires:
o All ionization-only smoke alarms sold in the state to have a hush feature; AND
o If it is an ionization-only smoke alarm and is also solely battery-operated, it must also come with a 10-year lithium battery.
Although Oregon law does not require other types of alarms to have 10-year batteries, many smoke alarms are now sold with these long-life batteries. This means if a household member automatically follows the national slogan, they could be removing a perfectly good battery and replacing it at extra expense with a lesser battery!
Therefore, many fire departments are encouraging families to:
1. Check smoke alarms by pushing the 'test' button to ensure the battery is working,
2. Vacuum the alarms to get rid of dust and cobwebs, and
3. Inspect the alarms to determine if they are ten-years-old or older. If families find that any alarm is over 10 years old, the entire alarm should be replaced with a new one.
* Some alarms with 10-year batteries are tamper proof. If you test the alarm and it doesn't work, the entire alarm must be replaced.
"Oregonians should first test their smoke alarm battery before automatically replacing it," says Oregon State Fire Marshal Randy Simpson. "Long-life lithium batteries have a life span of up to 10 years and if your alarm has one of these batteries, it may not need replacing every time you change your clock. However, if your smoke alarms are ten years old or older you should replace them entirely," says Simpson. "Also remember to test and vacuum your smoke alarm monthly."
Working smoke alarms provide an early warning to a fire, allowing you vital minutes to escape and increasing your chances of surviving a fire.
Safety tips:
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area
• Replace any smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older
• Ensure that your hard-wired alarms have battery back-ups. If your hard wired alarms, those wired directly into home electrical system, do not have battery back ups, consider replacing them with hard wired alarms that do!
• Never disconnect or remove batteries from smoke alarms for other uses or when it alarms from burnt food or shower vapors. Instead, press the hush feature and/or contact Alice Lasher from Boring Fire District and Sandy Fire District to help determine the best locations in your home for your alarms. Sometimes proper placement of alarms can greatly reduce the need for a hush feature.
• Make a home escape plan and practice it. Remember, children must LEARN to wake up to a smoke alarm; this can only be done by practicing a fire drill with your children during sleeping hours.
For more smoke alarm and fire safety information, contact Alice Lasher at 971-563-3051 or sfd72fmo@Hotmail.com or visit: www.boringfire.com or www.sandyfire.org or
http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/CommEd_SA_Program.shtml.
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