There couldn’t be a better time to get an extra hour to sleep (or an extra hour to party) than late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, when clocks fall back an hour.
Nov. 2 marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, which began March 9. That means while the sun will rise earlier in the morning — beginning at 6:42 a.m. on Sunday. It also will set sooner as well, getting dark that same day at 5:45 p.m.
One of the things many firefighters recommend during the time change is to also check smoke alarms in homes. According to research from the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. At the same time, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes without working smoke alarms.
On top of that, roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to the Hillsborough County Fire Marshal’s Office, when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, attempting to give everyone enough time to get out.
Some tips about smoke alarms include:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old, or sooner if they do not respond properly.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm, and understands what to do when they hear it.
To learn more about smoke alarms, visit FirePreventionWeek.org.
