Fire marshal says go beyond batteries, check the expiration date on devices

COLUMBUS– Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday and serves as a perfect reminder to not only move your clocks ahead an hour but also test your smoke alarms.

State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon urges all Ohioans to check their home’s smoke alarms regularly and replace them when expired.

“We see the life-saving impact properly functioning smoke alarms can have when the worst happens,” he said. “Working smoke alarms save lives, cutting your risk of dying in a house fire in half.”

According to the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Prevention Bureau, along with making sure all smoke alarms have a fresh set of batteries, checking the expiration date is crucial in early fire detection.

To find out how old a smoke alarm is, as well as its expiration date, simply look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked.

Smoke alarms should be replaced 10 years from the manufacture date.

Any alarms with a manufacture date of 2012 or earlier should be replaced.

“Smoke alarms are the first warning sign of a fire. These devices give you potentially lifesaving seconds to escape,” Ken Klouda, Fire Prevention Bureau Chief said. “However, the alarms have to be working to warn you. That’s why testing them is so important.”

For improved protection, install smoke alarms on every level of the home and inside and outside of each sleeping area.

Ohioans are also encouraged to develop an escape plan with two ways out and make sure every family member knows what to do and where to meet outside if the smoke alarm sounds.

Taking the time to practice both a primary and secondary escape plan is vital for knowing what to do if a real emergency were to occur.

Smoke alarms save lives but only if they are working properly. See additional fire prevention resources at the State Fire Marshal’s website at com.ohio.gov/fire.