Spring Forward This Weekend

IRONWOOD, MI - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - A friendly reminder: It's that time again, and this year it happens even sooner. Daylight Saving Time begins in America at 2:00 AM Sunday.

When you’re changing your clocks, remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors (and if you don’t have them, get them!) Although smoke alarms are present in 95 percent of American homes, 20 percent do not work due to worn or missing batteries – this means nearly 19 million homes are at needless risk, according to the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

“The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM when most families are sleeping,” the IAFC said in a news release. “A working smoke alarm can often provide the critical extra seconds people need to get out safely. That’s why the simple act of maintaining smoke alarms is so important. Since children and senior citizens are most at risk, those are the citizens we especially target with this life saving message.” So please, change your batteries, OK?