Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries this Weekend

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department is encouraging citizens to change the batteries in their smoke alarms when they change their clocks to Daylight Savings Time this Sunday, March 14, 2021.  When you “spring ahead” and move your clock forward one hour on Sunday, March 14, take a few minutes to make sure that you test your smoke alarms and change the batteries if needed. 

Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home.  They should also be installed inside and outside of sleeping areas for maximum protection.   Test your smoke alarms monthly.  Replace batteries at least once a year or if the smoke alarm begins to “chirp” which indicates a low battery.  Some new smoke alarms allow lithium power cell batteries to be installed – these batteries may last up to ten years.  Smoke alarms themselves should be replaced after ten years. 

A working smoke alarm can decrease a family’s risk of dying in a fire by nearly 50 percent.  Last year in Cedar Rapids, smoke alarms alerted occupants in 34 percent of the residential fires in Cedar Rapids (36 out of 106 residential fires).  Smoke alarms were present in 54 of the 106 residential properties, but in the 18 incidents where smoke alarms were present but did not operate, the batteries were dead or the fire was too small to activate the smoke alarm. 

For more fire safety information, please visit our website at www.cedar-rapids.org/fire.