Change detector batteries this weekend

BEATRICE – When you switch your clocks one hour forward to Daylight Savings Time this weekend, don’t forget to change out the batteries in all of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

"I hope everybody does, but it's easy to forget. That's why we, at the national and local level, we push the change the clock, change your batteries. It's important to do that every six months, that way if you do have an incident, whether it's C-O or a fire, the alarms will be functional."

Beatrice Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake says fire crews occasionally encounter fires where detectors were not functioning properly or did not have batteries in them.  Since Christmas, Beatrice has seen at least three damaging house fires along with at least two in rural areas near Beatrice.

"I know in one, they didn't have a smoke detector in their house, for whatever reason...but the others did, so that helps with that early notification. The important thing is to get out of the house, call the fire department and let them do what they need to do."

Daake says most fire fatalities occur because of the smoke in the fire, not the flames…sometimes when occupants are sleeping. "Where a lot of the problem is...smoke rises and a lot of the smoke and toxic gases are up higher...and if you sit up in bed right away, you very well could just get overwhelmed with the bad chemicals that are in the smoke, and perish that way."

Fire officials say you should have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home, especially just outside bedrooms. The detectors have a shelf-life, so make sure to replace them once every ten years.

"They do now make them where they're combined, so that way you have a C-O detector and smoke detector all in one....so you've got less detectors floating around your house."

Batteries should be replaced at least every six months…making the twice-a-year time change one easy way to remember.