Be Alarmed!

Day light savings is upon us and fire safety experts suggest this is the time of year to put new batteries in your fire alarms. Following are some tips to keep in mind.

A short, low beep every 60 seconds indicates the battery power is low and the battery needs replacing. Change your smoke alarm batteries every 12 months or at the end of daylight saving, and use a long-lasting alkaline battery.
Smoke alarms should be tested monthly by pressing the test button
with a broom handle.

Smoke alarms should be vacuumed regularly - at a minimum once a year to clean the vents.

Powered smoke alarms, such as those in condominiums and newer homes, also have back-up batteries - check with the manufacturer if your model has batteries that need to be replaced regularly or whether it has a re-chargeable battery. If the electricity goes out in a fire... you'll be glad you did!

Fire Services recommend you change your smoke alarm (both battery powered and 240v hard-wired types) after ten years as it may start to fail after this period. A year of manufacture date is displayed on all smoke alarms.