American Red Cross reminding people to check on and update their smoke alarms as clocks roll back
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With Daylight Saving Time ending this Sunday, the folks at the American Red Cross are encouraging everyone to test their smoke alarms as they are going through their homes setting their clocks back an hour.
Nicole Roschella, the Regional Communications Director for the American Red Cross in the Greater Pennsylvania Region said having working smoke alarms and detectors is important and it could be the difference between life and death.
"Having working smoke alarms in your home can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half," Roschella said. "So it is important. You should be checking your smoke alarm every month, but we use these daylight savings times to really drive that point home."
Over the past year, local Red Cross volunteers responded to help more than 6,000 people in Pennsylvania affected by more than 1,500 home fires.
Home fires account for most of the 60,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually across the country.
Roschella said, there are some safe practices to follow.
"Making sure that your smoke alarm is less than ten years old," Roschella explained. "You also want to go over the sound of your smoke alarm with your kids, who may not be familiar with it. So when they hear that alarm they know what to do. Also when we are checking smoke alarms - make sure you have one on every level of your home, especially near sleeping areas like bedrooms. And then when you are checking your alarms, it is a great time to go over your fire escape plan with your family. You want to make sure everyone can get out in less than two minutes."
The American Red Cross says that if you are low-income and need assistance purchasing a smoke detector or even if you are having trouble installing one, reach out to them and they will be able to help.