Safety reminder accompanies start of daylight saving time

By Brian Nordli

Thursday, March 7, 2013 | 10:43 a.m.

When clocks are moved forward this weekend for the start of daylight saving time, Clark County fire officials say there is no better time to replace smoke detector batteries as well.

Fire officials urge people to test their smoke detectors monthly and to replace their batteries twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall.

Officials said low batteries in smoke detectors are dangerous because they inhibit an alarm’s ability to detect smoke. In addition to the obnoxious chirps, drained batteries can cause false alarms to sound, prompting people to call 9-1-1 when there is no emergency.

As a reminder, the fire officials recommend making the change at the beginning and end of daylight saving time. This year, daylight saving time begins 2 a.m. Sunday and ends Sunday, Nov. 3.

“Smoke detectors have proven to reduce fire fatalities by 50 percent,” Clark County Fire Chief Bertral Washington said in a news release Thursday. “Changing the batteries at the beginning and end of daylight saving time gives residents easy-to-remember dates to start, or continue, this life-saving habit.”