Be sure to check your smoke alarms when you “spring ahead” this weekend

Losing an hour when you spring forward March 13 for Daylight Saving Time can put a damper on your weekend slumber. But there’s something else to ponder: half of all fires start between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., often in the bedroom, injuring or killing more than 15,000 people each year.

That’s why it’s so important to protect yourself and your family by having working smoke alarms.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms reduce your chance of dying in a fire by half. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) encourages people to have working alarms installed in every bedroom and every sleeping area, on every level of your home. And remember: batteries don’t last forever, so be sure to test smoke alarms for proper operation every month.

If you’re a homeowner in the city of Dallas and need a smoke alarm, call 311. DFR staff will come to your home and install them free of charge. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years to ensure proper operation.

In addition to working smoke alarms, make sure everyone in your home knows what to do and where to go if there’s a fire. Have an escape plan which includes a designated outside meeting place and practice the plan with everyone in the house, especially children.

For more information on DFR educational programs and other useful fire safety tips visit: http://dallasfirerescue.com/inspections_investigations_education.html.