State Fire Marshal Randy Cole encourages Missourians to take advante of the end of Daylight Saving Time by changing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Daylight Saving Time ended at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7. Cole encourages everyone to use this change as a reminder to test their alarms to make sure they’re in working order, practice family escape routes and to remind family, friends and neighbors to do the same things.
“The simple act of installing a fresh battery is one of the best ways that you can protect our family from the threat of a deadly fire,” Cole said.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 40 percent of U.S. residential fire deaths result from fires in homes without working smoke alarms. The National Safety Council reports that almost 700 people die each year as a result of unintentional poisoning by gases or vapors in non-fire situations. Carbon monoxide is involved in the majority of these deaths.
Cole recommends that Missourians regularly check smoke detectors by pushing the test button, plan two escape routes from their homes and practice those escape routes with the entire family.