Winnipeg, MB – On Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 2 a.m., the clocks will "fall back" one hour marking the end of daylight saving time. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) reminds residents to replace your smoke alarm’s batteries and test your smoke alarms when you adjust your clocks this weekend.
According to recent statistics, people are four times more likely to die in a fire if they don’t have working smoke alarms. The only way to ensure an alarm is working it to test it.
If your home does not have a working smoke alarm, you can sign up for the S.A.F.E. (Smoke Alarm for Every) Family Program, which provides and installs free alarms in owner-occupied homes. Find out more at winnipeg.ca/safefamily.
In addition to your changing clocks and your testing smoke alarms, the time change is a good reminder for businesses and organizations to check their Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), as AED batteries and contact pads have a shelf life. AEDs require regular checks and maintenance, as specified in the manufacturer’s instructions.
Help keep yourself and your loved ones safe in the home by following these simple steps:
- A working smoke alarm will buy you valuable time. In case of fire - Get out, stay out, and call 911.
- Make sure you have one smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas and in your basement.
- Replace smoke alarms every 10 years – the date of manufacture is written on the back of the smoke alarm.
- If your smoke alarm uses disposable batteries, change them twice per year when the time changes.
- Test your smoke alarm every month.
- Make sure everyone in your home knows what to do in the event of a fire, and practice your escape plan.
For more information on smoke alarms and fire prevention, visit winnipeg.ca/fireprevention.