Clocks should have been moved forward on March 13, 2015, at 2:00 a.m. to begin daylight saving time. The Macon-Bibb County Fire Department wants to remind you to also change the battery in your smoke detector.  It’s a proven fact: working smoke detectors save lives.

It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.  Change your Clock; Change your Battery.

“If batteries are missing or dead, the smoke alarm does not work, and you won’t get the early warning that will allow you to to react in a safe and timely manner,” says Fire Prevention Director Brenda Thomas.

If a home does not have a working smoke detector, people can call 478-751-9180 Monday –Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. or go by the nearest Fire Station on the weekend. The Fire Department can go to your home and install one for free. The entire smoke alarm should be replaced every 10 years, or before if it is not working properly. This community service is a preventative measure to help protect people’s lives in case of a fire.

Chief Thomas also recommends testing the smoke detector in the house at least once a month by pressing the “Test” button until the alarm activates.  If smoke alarm ‘chirps,’ the battery should be changed immediately because that is the indicator the battery power is getting low.