Time to change batteries in home smoke detectors

The turning of the calendar page from March to April is one of the more exciting ones here in Alaska. It marks the first hints of spring, perhaps most noticeable in the rapidly lengthening days.

Part of that transition is the annual &#8220springing ahead” of clocks. The loss of one hour in the wee hours of Sunday morning is quickly compensated for by daylight that will extend beyond 9 p.m., heralding long days ahead to catch fish and do all the &#8220Alaska” things that make summer here so special.

To ensure that the days ahead are as safe and enjoyable as possible, area fire departments encourage residents to add another practice to their twice-yearly clock-changing ritual - the replacement of batteries in household smoke alarms. This simple action can have huge paybacks.

Statewide in 2005, a full 50 percent of home fire deaths occurred in residences that either had no smoke alarm installed or had alarms with dead batteries, according to Central Mat-Su Fire Department statistics. So far this year, there have been eight deaths statewide attributable to home fires. Not one of the afflicted homes had an operational smoke alarm.

Nationwide, 70 percent of all home fire fatalities happen in residences without a working smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

These are sobering statistics - perhaps all the more so because of the simplicity of the solution. Area fire departments do their part through ongoing education programs in the Valley's elementary schools. Fire trucks from the Central Mat-Su Department are equipped, too, with smoke alarms so firefighters can install them in homes they respond to that don't already have one.

Of course, the best time to install an alarm is before a fire breaks out. Fire prevention officials recommend installing one on every floor of the home, minimally. Ideally, they say, each bedroom should have one, too, along with one in the hallway outside bedrooms, since it also is recommended that people sleep with their bedroom doors closed to protect themselves from smoke from another room.

Alarms are available in most hardware and department stores. The potentially life-saving service they provide makes their relatively low cost an even bigger bargain. Area fire officials can answer any questions about installation or use.

Homes already equipped with alarms have it even easier. Just remember - change your clocks, change your batteries. Simple advice that goes a long, long way.