November is fire prevention month

Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 14:13

Don’t forget to check the batteries in your home smoke alarms. To help you remember think of this slogan Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery which was developed by The National Fire Protection Association and the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. This means you :

change your battery every six months, and
use daylight savings time changes as a reminder.

The MCH Trauma Program also urges you to make sure your smoke alarm is working properly. Ideally, you should test each smoke detector in your house once a month. This makes sure the battery is properly connected and working, and that the alarm rings. Each smoke alarm has a test button for this purpose.

It is also recommended you install at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house. For added protection, you should also install a smoke alarm outside each bedroom.

Another good way to maintain your smoke alarm is to gently vacuum around the intake ports any time you vacuum the rest of your house. The intake ports are the slots that allow air and smoke into the alarm. The cleaning will remove dust or grease, so the alarm can respond as quickly as possible.