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Change smoke alarm battery on March 11 |
On Sunday, March 11, the clocks will move forward one hour to bring about Daylight Savings Time. There is another change that each resident should make: the battery in your smoke alarm. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you're awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for fire and smoke. Smoke alarms are powered by battery or they are hardwired into the home's electrical system. If the smoke alarm is powered by battery, it runs on either a disposable 9-volt battery or a non-replaceable "long-life" lithium battery. A backup battery is usually present on hardwired alarms and may need to be replaced. A smoke alarm only works when it is properly installed and maintained. Depending on how your smoke alarm is powered (9-volt, 10-year lithium, or hardwired), you'll have to maintain it according to manufacturer's instructions.
Many times, smoke alarms are disabled when it activates due to steam from cooking or a hot shower. A smoke alarm is just doing its job when it sounds, and disabling it by removing the battery can be a deadly mistake. Instead, open a window or door and press the "hush" button, wave a towel at the alarm to clear the air, or move the entire alarm several feet away from the location.
Purchase that 9-volt battery now, and be prepared to check your smoke alarm as part of the annual clock change. This is a change that can save your life! |
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When disaster strikes, will you be ready? |
It is that time of year - the time for severe weather to begin in the form of severe thunderstorms with possible hail and tornadoes. Hall County Fire Services and Emergency Management Agency encourages you to take an active interest in your family's safety. It is our goal that all residents will be ready to maintain self-sufficiency for 72 hours following a disaster.
"If people have a kit that will last 72 hours, that gives emergency responders time to handle the most critical incidents first," Hall County EMA Director David Kimbrell says.
A great resource to the community is Ready Hall County, a website maintained by the Hall County Emergency Management Agency. Here you will find the tools you need to prepare for a potential emergency, create a disaster kit, and make a family disaster plan.
Hall County is working with officials in the federal, state, local and private sectors to prevent and respond to all types of emergencies, which contributes to a level of state and national preparedness that is critical to securing our state and county. However, a vigilant public increases the likelihood of coming through a disaster safely.
"The more people we prepare, the easier it is for emergency responders to do their jobs efficiently and effectively during a crisis," Kimbrell says. |
