Don't forget to Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries on November 3rd!

Use this checklist to find out if you are taking the rights steps to protect your family:

1. Count Your Smoke Alarms

Be sure there is at least one smoke alarm less than ten years old installed on every level of your home, including one in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.

2. Change Your Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector Batteries

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and fire experts nationwide encourage people to change smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries annually. An easy way to remember to do so is to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks.

3. Check Your Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

After inserting a fresh battery in each smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, push the safety test button to make sure alarms are in proper-working condition. Conduct this test monthly. Never disconnect your smoke alarm battery! Remember that a "chirping" alarm is a signal it needs a fresh battery.

4. Clean Your Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Ensure your smoke alarms' and carbon monoxide detectors' sensitivity by cleaning them each month of dust and cobwebs.

5. Replace Your Smoke Alarms

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years and having a combination of both ionization and photo electric smoke alarms to keep you alert to all types of home fires.

6. Change Your Flashlight Batteries

Keep flashlights with fresh batteries at your bedside for help in finding the way out and signaling for help in the event of a fire.

7. Get the Whole Family Involved

Once smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and have fresh batteries, you should make sure family members, children in particular, know what the alarms and detectors sound like and what to do should they go off.

Source: Fire statistics were obtained from reports by the Fire Analysis and Research Division of the National Fire Protection Association. See www.nfpa.org for more information. Information courtesy of Energizer.