WATERTOWN — As north country residents get ready to set their clocks forward an hour on Sunday morning, the Firefighters Association of the State of New York is reminding people to check their smoke alarms.
“We encourage all New Yorkers to check their smoke and CO alarms monthly to ensure that they are functional,” FASNY President John P. Farrell said in a press release. “The additional time a smoke or CO alarm provides can be the difference between life and death. In addition, fire sprinkler systems are proven to save lives and these systems should be installed whenever possible.”
Robert F. Leonard Jr., chair of the Public Relations Committee for FASNY and assistant fire chief with the Syosset Volunteer Fire Department on Long Island, said that the tradition of people checking their smoke alarms and the clocks changing dates back to the early 1970s.
“You should check the batteries and/or the operation of your smoke alarm at least twice a year,” Chief Leonard said.
It is recommended that people check their smoke alarms every six months, and the original thought was to have it become a habit when clocks are changed.
“The thought was if you time it to when you change your clocks, check your batteries, it just makes sense,” Chief Leonard said.
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