Change your clock, change your batteries Published Oct. 27, 2009 By Joshua Leming Sheppard fire inspector SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- As people across the country prepare to move their clocks back an hour Nov. 1 ending daylight saving time, Sheppard Fire Emergency Services recommends changing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. A home fire death occurs about every three hours somewhere in the nation and 80 percent of those occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most common cause of non-working smoke alarms is missing or worn out batteries. Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years. The peak time for home fire fatalities are between 11p.m. and 7a.m. when most families are sleeping. Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke detector can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely. For more information about smoke detectors or fire prevention, please call your local fire prevention office.