(MADISON) – Don’t forget to change your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday as Daylight Saving Time begins. It’s also a great time to change your batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and get other emergency safety items ready for spring storm season.
ReadyWisconsin urges you to check these items and change batteries:
• Smoke alarms save lives. According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately three out of five fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or homes without working smoke alarms. It is recommended to have a smoke alarm inside each bedroom and install alarms on every level of the home including the basement. Make sure the alarms are tested monthly. All smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
• Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, about 450 people each year in Wisconsin are taken to hospital emergency rooms for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. At high levels, carbon monoxide can cause death within minutes. Detectors can be purchased at most hardware stores.
• Emergency Kits- Daylight Saving Time is a perfect time to put together an emergency kit or restock an existing kit. If you already have a kit, use food items near their expiration and replace with fresh supplies. Items past their expiration dates should be disposed of and replaced. You should have supplies such as food and water to last you and your family for at least three days. Other items like a battery powered or crank radio, flashlights and batteries, first aid kit should also be included.
• Emergency NOAA Weather Radio- Spring brings the threat of tornadoes and severe weather. Make sure you have an emergency weather radio. It’s like having a tornado siren in your home. When it goes off, go to a safe place. Listen, Act and Live!
