Spring Forward and Change Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Batteries

On Sunday, March 10, consumers will turn their clocks forward one hour for Daylight Saving Time. As the season changes from winter to spring, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants you to spring into action and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Many electronic devices and appliances with clocks will adjust automatically. However, some smoke alarms and CO alarms need a few moments of your time to ensure manually they are working properly. "As you change your clocks, change the batteries in your smoke and CO alarms. Every moment matters," said CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. "Working alarms can alert you and your family to danger, giving more time to escape in an emergency." The National Fire Protection Association estimates that, in 2017, about 357,000 residential fires occurred, resulting in about 2,630 deaths, and 10,600 injuries.