Change Your Smoke Detector Battery During DST

The Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services reminds Duluth residents to change the battery in their smoke detector during Daylight Saving Time.

Three people narrowly escaped an early morning house fire on Park Place Drive in Lawrenceville Friday (March 11). Residents of the home credited their smoke detector for alerting them to the fire. They were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor smoke inhalation and are fortunate to be alive, according to Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge.

“This fire demonstrates the importance of having a working smoke detector inside the home,” said Rutledge. Smoke detectors are designed to sound an alarm, providing adequate time for occupants to escape. Firefighters suggest installing smoke detectors on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms, he said.

"Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery" is a national fire safety campaign. A working smoke detector could mean the difference between life and death. A smoke detector is designed to alert occupants of the presence of smoke from a fire, and will sound an alarm to provide added time for escape, Rutledge said. Newer model (hard wired/battery back-up) smoke detectors can even be interconnected so that when one sounds, they all sound.

Smoke detectors are either hard wired into the electrical system, battery operated, or a combination of the two. Changing the battery twice a year means that the alarm is properly powered, even if the electricity goes out, he said. 

According to statistics, the majority of fire related injuries and deaths occur in single-family and multi-family dwellings. The problem is that most homes in the United States either have no smoke detector or have no working smoke detector. Fires often happen at night when most people are asleep. "The noise of the smoke detector may be your first line of defense against a deadly fire," Rutledge said. Along with a working smoke detector, Duluth residents are encouraged to develop a home fire escape plan and practice fire drills with the whole family.

For additional information about home fire safety, cotact the Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction-Education Section at 678-518.4850 or e-mail fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com