Clocks are set to fall back an hour this weekend and with it comes a reminder from local fire departments to test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home.
Daylight Savings Time will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, meaning we will all get one extra hour of sleep.
Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services is recommending using the bi-annual clock change as a opportunity to test out alarms in homes and change batteries as required.
“In order for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to do their job, they need to have a power source,” says Fire Prevention Officer Greg Nicol. “Once a year, old batteries should be replaced with new batteries.”
Working smoke alarms are required on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas. For added protection, firefighters recommend to also install smoke alarms inside all bedrooms.
Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed outside all sleeping areas if your home has a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage.
Tampering with or removing the batteries from your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is against the law, and failure to comply with fire code could result in a ticket for $360 or a hefty fine as high as $50,000.