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Make home safety checks part of time-change ritual

Published October 30th, 2009 | 0 Comments

Tonight we turn our watches and bedside clocks back one hour, but by taking that ritual one step further and using it as a reminder to test smoke detectors, chimney flues, furnaces and portable heaters, we can gain a lot more than an extra hour of sleep.

The end of daylight-saving time should serve as a reminder not only to reset watches and clocks, but to check the batteries in smoke detectors, make sure there are working flashlights on hand in case of power outages, and see that sources of winter heating are free of obstructions such as curtains, rugs or furniture.

As temperatures begin to dip, the likelihood of fires peaks, particularly from portable heaters.

The use of such heaters can be a real cost-savings to homeowners, but such devices need to be operated in a safe manner. If history is any guide, more than 3,000 people will die in residential fires this year — many in the cold winter months and many of those as the result of using heaters in unsafe ways.

Heaters should always be kept well away from furniture, drapes or other flammable objects.

Fire officials warn that approximately 80 percent of fire-related deaths result from lack of smoke alarms or alarms that no longer work. Purchase a smoke detector if you do not have one.

On average, there are between two and three fire deaths each year in our immediate area. In almost every one of those incidents, a working smoke detector would likely have made the difference between life and death.

Changing smoke alarm batteries on a routine basis — at least once a year — cuts the risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half, according to fire officials. A working smoke detector provides an early warning and critical extra seconds to escape.

That’s especially important in nighttime fires. The peak time for fire fatalities is between 2 and 5 a.m., when most people are sleeping.

You might believe the smell of smoke would wake you in time to escape a fire. But the sense of smell is actually lessened while people sleep. Smoke disorients people and contributes to more fire deaths than actual burns.

And even with today’s emphasis on safety and fire prevention, a residential fire occurs somewhere in the United States every 78 seconds.

Most of us lead very busy lives. But it takes only a few moments to test a detector or change a battery. But these are moments that can literally save you and your loved ones.

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