(WHDH) — Fire officials in Massachusetts are urging people to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when they change their clocks this weekend.
People will have to spring their clocks forward an hour on Sunday for daylight saving time and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey says this is also the perfect time to check alarms.
“Working smoke and CO alarms are crucial home safety tools,” he said. “As we ‘spring forward’ this weekend, remember to check your alarms when you change your clocks. Unless you have newer alarms with 10-year sealed batteries, this is a good time to replace the alkaline batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms or replace the entire device if it’s more than 10 years old.”
Ostroskey added that carbon monoxide remains a hazard even as the weather warms.
“Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States,” he said. “Many cases involve furnaces and other heating appliances, but CO is also produced by stoves, grills, and vehicles, as well as generators put into use during a power outage. We can’t see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide. Working CO alarms are the only way to detect this invisible killer.”
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