Change your clocks, check your alarms
Ventura, Calif. — On Sunday, March 14, 2021, residents will turn clocks forward one hour for Daylight Saving Time. The Ventura Fire Department (VFD) encourages community members to “spring forward” and into action by taking a moment to practice fire safety.
“Changing our clocks is a great time to test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries in alarms with replaceable batteries,” said Ventura Fire Marshal Joe Morelli. “Working smoke alarms are proven to save lives and give people the crucial extra seconds they need to evacuate in an emergency.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) a home fire occurred at a rate of one every 87 seconds in 2018. From 2012 to 2016, the NFPA estimated that nearly three out of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no working smoke alarms.
Make the most of extra daylight and take time to prepare a fire safety plan with three preparedness tips:
- Check smoke and carbon monoxide (CO2) alarms: Check each alarm’s batteries and test them monthly to make sure they are working. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away. Every home should have a working smoke alarm in each bedroom, in areas leading to bedrooms, and on each level of the home. Carbon monoxide is created when fuels like natural gas burn incompletely. In homes with gas burning appliances, like dryers, stoves, and furnaces, there should be a minimum of one CO2 alarm installed outside each sleeping area and on each level of the home.
- Prepare and practice a fire escape plan with family: Make sure there are two ways out from each room, a clear path to outside from each exit, and a designated meeting place outside to gather in the event of an emergency. Once out, stay out. Visit venturacityfire.com to download the Ready Ventura County Emergency Preparedness Guide.
- Sign-up for emergency notifications: VC Alert sends important information directly to subscribers during an emergency in Ventura County. Alerts may include notifications about brushfires, earthquakes, flooding, evacuations, and shelters. To sign-up to receive alerts, visit www.vcalert.org or call (805) 648-9283.
To learn more about the fire prevention and VFD’s educational efforts, visit www.NFPA.org or contact Emily Graves, Community Outreach Specialist with the Ventura Fire Department, at [email protected].
For more fire educational videos and safety tips, please connect, friend, or follow Ventura City Fire on Facebook and Instagram @venturacityfire
