Change Your Clock / Change Your Battery Sunday, November 4, 2007

The annual Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery program is now 20 years old. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue is reminding all residents that when they change their clocks back, to take a few minutes to change the batteries in their smoke alarms as well as take a few other fire safety prevention measures such as:

Making sure the alarms work by pushing the test button.

Cleaning the smoke alarms by vacuuming them. Repeat the cleaning monthly.   

Counting all smoke alarms to make sure there are at least one on every floor, one in every bedroom, and one outside each sleeping area so that it can be heard through a closed door.

Planning and rehearsing two escape routes during a fire, and selecting a meeting place for family members outside the home.

Replace smoke alarms every ten years.

Over these years, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue and Sioux Falls Hook & Ladder Association have worked together providing smoke alarms and batteries to the public for reduced prices or at no direct cost. On Saturday, November 3, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue will be concentrating efforts in the following specific neighborhood:

South of West 12th Street and north of West 18th Street, east of Skunk Creek and west of I-29.

The following are some suggestions of text for Public Service Announcements. We would like to encourage you to air these on your stations in the public interest. If we can be of help with video shots or to read copy for your station, please contact the Fire Prevention Division.