When We Fall Back... Make Sure to Check Smoke & CO Detectors

LongIsland.com

As Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 1st at 2:00 A.M., the Nassau County Firefighters Museum urges all Long Islanders to check their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they are functioning ...

Print Email

Garden City, NY - October 27, 2015 - As Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 1st at 2:00 A.M., the Nassau County Firefighters Museum urges all Long Islanders to check their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they are functioning properly. The Museum & Education Center recommends cleaning all detectors to remove any debris that might impede their function and to test the batteries, changing them if necessary.   

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), two-thirds of all fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. Though many homeowners and businesses do in fact have smoke alarms, very often these units are not functioning due to a lack of proper maintenance.

“It is a sad, but preventable reality that too frequently firefighters respond to homes without any smoke detectors, or with non-working smoke detectors,” said Chief John V. Murray, the Museum’s Chief Instructor. “The single most important thing you can do to protect yourself against fire’s danger is installing and maintaining smoke detectors in your house. And just as important is installing and maintaining CO detectors. Today, with so many clocks computerized and automatically re-setting the seasonal time changes, it easy to forget this small, but very critical, safety task. We urge all adults to use this reminder to attend to this important matter as soon as possible.”

Smoke & CO detector tips:

  • Test detectors at least once a month by using the test button.
  • Check the batteries every six months, and change the batteries every year (if applicable). If a battery is starting to lose its power, the unit will usually chirp to warn you. Do NOT disable the unit.
  • Vacuum or blow out any dust that might accumulate in the unit.
  • NEVER borrow a battery from a detector to use somewhere else.
  • NEVER paint a smoke or CO detector.
  • Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home, including the basement, in every bedroom and near every sleeping area.
  • Smoke detectors should not be installed near a window because drafts could interfere with their operation.
  • Smoke detectors should be completely replaced every ten years.
  • Families should also develop and practice a home fire escape plan.

For more information on smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other information on fire safety and prevention, visit www.nfpa.org.

About the Francis X. Pendl Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center - The nearly 10,000 square-foot teaching facility features hands-on displays, historical fire equipment and live demonstrations on fire prevention and fire safety techniques.  Since opening in June of 2006, more than 100,000 visitors of all ages have been taken step-by-step through a working fire, from alarm activation and emergency call to the “knocking down” of flames at the scene.  Exhibits also trace the evolution of fire service equipment, gear and apparatus. The Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center makes learning fire safety - fun!