Contact: David Douglas
Phone: 336-430-6030

Residents Urged to Change Alarm Batteries When Turning Back Clocks November 7

GREENSBORO, NC -- (November 3, 2010) -- The Greensboro Fire Department (GFD) urges you to change your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm batteries when turning back your clocks for Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, November 7.

The GFD offers free smoke alarms with installation. If your alarm doesn’t work or you need new batteries, contact the department's Community Affairs office at 336-574-4088. While the GFD doesn't provide free carbon monoxide alarms, representatives will install at no charge alarms you purchase yourself. Read more.

About 90 percent of US households have smoke alarms installed. However, a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey estimates that 20 percent of those households, about 16 million, did not have any working alarms. CPSC recommends you test each smoke alarm every month to make sure it is working properly and change batteries at least once a year. Long-life smoke alarms with 10-year batteries have been available to consumers since 1995. These long-life alarms also should be tested monthly.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas that you cannot see or smell. There was an annual average of 171 unintentional non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning deaths from 2003 through 2005.

According to CPSC, in a recent year, nearly 2,700 people died and more than 15,000 were injured because of fires that started in their homes. These fires resulted in property losses of more than $3.5 billion. Children are particularly vulnerable. Each year, about 700 children under the age of 15 die of fire-related causes and about 400 of these deaths are to children under the age of five. Most deaths occur from fires that start at night while families are asleep. Four times as many victims die from inhaling smoke and toxic gases as from burns.

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