(Beaver Dam) With the end of daylight-savings time this weekend, the Beaver Dam Fire Department say now is a good time to check your smoke detectors. While many electronic devices will adjust automatically to the time change, safety officials recommend taking some time to check and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Beaver Dam Fire Chief Michael Wesle says this ensures they are working properly as more people use furnaces, fireplaces, and other heating devices to stay warm in the winter months.
“Smoke detectors…they do save lives,” says Wesle. “They’re very important to keeping you and your family safe. We have a time change coming up and it’s a great time to check those batteries and make sure your smoke detectors are in working order.”
Wesle notes that they do have a program that provides assistance to residents who need a smoke detector.
A recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report estimates there were 364,000 residential fires in 2020. Those fires resulted in 2,360 deaths, over 11,000 injuries, and nearly $7.6-billion-dollars in property damage. Wesle says even smoke detectors that are hardwired into the home need to be checked.
“They will be hardwired so they do run off the power from your house but when the power goes out…as it often does when there’s a fire…they have a battery backup,” says Wesle. “There’s also some out there that have a ten year battery…there’s also some that are just simply hardwired. So there’s several different choices but we would recommend something that is hardwired with a battery backup.”
Wesle also encourages citizens to check their carbon monoxide alarms. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, from 2017 to 2022 almost 250 Wisconsinites lost their loves due to carbon monoxide.
