Illinois and most of the United States will lose an hour of sleep on Sunday. Sunday, March 8th at 2 AM is the start of daylight saving time, so fast forward your clocks one hour. This is also a good time to test and replace the batteries in your smoke alarms. 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) along with the Office of the State Fire Marshal is encouraging you to change your batteries and test all smoke and CO alarms in your house and to go over your escape route and practice it. 

The NFPA reports between 2012-2016, that almost three out of every five home fire deaths in the US resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. In homes that working smoke alarms, the chances of dying were reduced by 54%. Dead batteries accounted for ¼ of smoke alarm failures. A new law in 2017 required that ten year sealed smoke alarms be installed in all homes built after 1988. 

For more information on the new “Be Alarmed!” fire safety education class and smoke alarm installation program, visit www.ifsa.org/programs/alarms.