Village of Westmont
Date Issued: March 8, 2018
The Westmont Fire Department reminds citizens that when you change your clock for daylights savings time this weekend, then it also time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that between 2009 and 2013 three in five home fire deaths occurred in homes that either did not have smoke alarms or the alarms did not work. More than half of the non-working smoke alarms either had missing or disconnected batteries. Dead batteries caused nearly a quarter of smoke alarm failures.
Illinois law requires every household to have smoke alarms within 15 feet of every bedroom and at least one alarm on each floor of the home.
The NFPA provides the following tips for installation and maintenance of smoke alarms:
- Install alarms close to each sleeping area of the house and on every level of the house. Ensure that the alarms are interconnected so when one sounds, they all do.
- Change alarm batteries at least twice a year. Daylight Savings Time is a reminder to “Change your Clock, Change your Batteries.”
- Test alarms at least once a month.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are ten years old.
- Closed doors may slow the spread of smoke.
- Smoke alarms should be a part of a larger home escape plan for emergencies. Visit the NFPA website for more information on home escape planning.
Daylight Savings Time is this Sunday, March 11. For more information on fire safety and prevention, please visit OSFM’s website at
http://www2.illinois.gov/sites/sfm/Pages/default.aspx
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Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont Communications Director
630-417-0280, lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov
