Red Deer County Fire Services reminds you to "Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries". Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks in the Spring and Fall to make sure your family has the critical time needed to escape if there is a fire in your home.

Most home fires occur at night when people are sleeping. Rather than awakening you as many people believe, the smoke and toxic gases generated by a fire actually cause you to sleep more deeply. Working smoke detectors can double a person's chances of surviving a fire by providing the extra time that is critical for safe escape.

Nationally, more than 90 percent of all homes have smoke detectors, but it is estimated that one-third of those don't work because of old or missing batteries.

Red Deer County Fire Services recommends replacing smoke detector batteries as least once a year, even if they appear to be working fine. Regularly replacing the batteries prevents the possibility that the detectors will start "chirping" (indicating that the batteries need to be replaced) when there is no replacement battery immediately available. The worst thing to do is to simply disconnect the detector to stop the noise since there's no way to predict when a fire will occur, even one night without a working smoke detector can be dangerous. Replacing batteries in the Spring and Fall when the time changes is an easy way to remember that important task.

October is Fire Prevention month, so "Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries" is especially appropriate. Red Deer County Fire Services advises having at least one smoke detector on each level of your home in hallways adjacent to any sleeping areas. Smoke detectors, (even those that are hard-wired) should be tested monthly to ensure that you have the protection you need when you need it.