11/02/2025
The North Babylon Fire Company would like to remind you that the day when you change your clocks for the end of daylight savings time is tomorrow, Sunday, November 2, 2025. This is the perfect opportunity to change the batteries in your smoke alarms.
The simplest, most effective ways to reduce deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke detectors nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. The "Change Your Clock-Change Your Battery" program urges everyone to adopt a habit of changing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarm batteries each year when changing clocks for daylight savings time.
In addition, the North Babylon Vol. Fire Company recommends residents to take this time to make a few other fire safety prevention measures such as:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
•An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, both types of alarms or a combination alarm (photoelectric and ionization) should be installed in homes.
•Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
•Smoke rises; install smoke alarms following manufacturer's instructions high on a wall or on a ceiling. Save manufacturer's instructions for testing and maintenance.
•Replace batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm "chirps", warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
•Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 year old or sooner if they do not respond properly.
•Be sure the smoke alarm has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
•Alarms that are hard-wired (and include battery backup) must be installed by a qualified electrician.
•If cooking fumes or steam sets off nuisance alarms, replace the alarm with an alarm that has a "hush" button. A "hush" button will reduce the alarm's sensitivity for a short period of time.
•An ionization alarm with a hush button or a photoelectric alarm should be used if the alarm is within 20 feet of a cooking appliance.
•Smoke alarms that include a recordable voice announcement in addition to the usual alarm sound, may be helpful in waking children through the use of a familiar voice.
