Change Your Clocks & Your Smoke Detector Batteries - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

  It's finally time to reclaim that hour of sleep you lost last spring. 

  Most of the country will turn back the clocks this weekend for the annual shift back to standard time.

  The majority of folks will do the switch before hitting the sack Saturday night, even though the change doesn't become official until 2 a.m. Sunday local time.

  Residents of Hawaii, most of Arizona and some U.S. territories don't have to change since they do not observe daylight-saving time.

  Public safety officials say this is also a good time to put a new battery in the smoke alarm, no matter where you live.

  Fargo firefighters remind people for the best opportunity of survival in a home fire, a working smoke detector is the best answer. The Fargo Fire Department wants to remind people to test and change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks this weekend for daylight savings time.

   Advice from the Fargo Fire Dept.:

• 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. When one sounds, they all sound. Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Smoke rises; install smoke alarms following manufacturer's instructions high on a wall or on a ceiling. Save manufacturer's instructions for testing and maintenance.
• Be sure the smoke alarm has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• Alarms that are hard-wired (and include battery backup) must be installed by a qualified electrician.
• If cooking fumes or steam sets off nuisance alarms, replace the alarm with an alarm that has a "hush" button. A "hush" button will reduce the alarm's sensitivity for a short period of time.
• Smoke alarms that include a recordable voice announcement in addition to the usual alarm sound, may be helpful in waking children through the use of a familiar voice.
• Smoke alarms are available for people who are  deaf or hard of hearing. These devices use strobe lights. Vibration devices can be added to these alarms.