When setting clocks back an hour readers should be reminded to also change smoke alarm batteries

This weekend it's time to set the clocks back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday. It is also a good time to remind readers to change the batteries in smoke alarms or to install smoke alarms or heat sensors in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, hallways, attics, furnace rooms, closets, utility and storage rooms, basements and attached garages.

About 2,500 Americans lose their lives in fires every year, states the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), which is teaming up for the 28th year with Energizer for its Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program to encourage safe practices. While 95 percent of homes now have smoke detectors, the problem is that many people fail to keep them in working order. "The National Fire Protection Agency reports that three out of five fatal fire injuries take place in homes without working smoke alarms and 71 percent of smoke alarms that failed to operate had missing, disconnected or dead batteries."

"A working smoke alarm can make the difference in giving you the critical extra seconds to make a safe escape from a fire," states IAFC. "Energizer research has revealed a deadly overconfidence among people about their chances for detecting and escaping from a fire. Thirty percent think they or other family members can detect a fire, and more than 70 percent of individuals think their family would have enough time to evacuate if one broke out. Contrary to popular belief, home fires are often not readily detectible and often don't give families much time to escape. In fact, 20 percent of reported home fires occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. and cause half of all home fire deaths. Furthermore, 36 percent of fatal fire victims don't wake up before being injured." (Read more)