October 27, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2005-39) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-5806/Fax: (251) 208-5813 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery! Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery™ has been recognized as America's most effective fire safety campaign, helping families keep safe should fire strike. Working smoke alarms double a family's chances of surviving a home fire. That's why Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs started the Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery™ program 14 years ago. With more than 5,800 fire departments participating nationwide the program reminds people how important it is to maintain working smoke detectors. This program urges Americans to change smoke alarm batteries when changing their clocks back to standard time, which occurs this year on Sunday, October 30. 4,000 people died in house fires last year. Unfortunately, in two-thirds of these fires there were no working smoke detectors. A smoke detector is your first line of protection from a fire in your home. Please make sure your smoke detectors are working and are less than 10 years old. A working smoke alarm reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly half. Each day, an average of three kids die in home fires - 1,100 children each year. About 3,600 children are injured in house fires each year. 90 percent of child fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Although smoke alarms are in 92 percent of American homes, nearly one-third don't work because of old or missing batteries. Fire Safety Checklist  Install a smoke alarm on each level of your home, including the basement. Follow the instructions for proper installation locations.  Test and vacuum your smoke alarms once a month—dust and cobwebs can impair sensitivity.  Change the batteries in your smoke alarms once a year. Check flashlight batteries.  Retire your old Smoke Alarms! Homeowners should also realize that smoke detectors only last 8-10 years. Pushing the 'test' button usually tests the alarm, not its ability to detect smoke. If your detector is more than 10 years old, it may not function properly in a fire, eventhough it beeps when you push the test button.  Always keep a working flashlight near your bed, in the kitchen, basement, and family room—in the event of a fire, use a flashlight to signal for help.  Install fire extinguishers. Be sure to install a fire extinguisher in or near your kitchen and know how to use it. The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends a multi- or all-purpose fire extinguisher that’s listed by an accredited testing laboratory.  Make sure your children know and understand fire safety. Children are at double the risk of dying in a home fire, because they often become scared and confused during fires. Show your children where smoke alarms are located. Make sure they recognize the smoke alarm’s sound and understand that a sounding smoke alarm signals a home fire  Plan and practice your escape routes. Identify at least two different escape routes and practice them with the entire family. ###