Help save lives: Remind family, friends, neighbors to adopt simple lifesaving change Published Nov. 2, 2007 By Greg Chesser 90th Civil Engineer Squadron fire prevention chief F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo. -- When people change their clocks Sunday, Warren Fire and Emergency Services wants to remind everyone to make another change that could save their lives -- changing and testing the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Communities nationwide witness home-fire deaths each year. An average of three children per day die in home fires, and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Nonworking smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. A worn or missing battery is the most common factor of non-functioning smoke alarms. While changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent deaths and injuries. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of fatalities in a home fire in half. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years. "The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping," says John McDougall, 90th Civil Engineer Squadron fire chief. "Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely." Chief McDougall recommends residents use the hour they save from the time change to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors by pushing the test button, having an escape plan with two ways out and practicing escape routes with the entire family. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries. For more information call Greg Chesser or Lou Latendresse at 773-2931, or the"Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery" hotline at (314) 995-3939, extension 104.