Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, and the American Red Cross is reminding residents to take a moment to check an important safety device in their homes. When you turn your clocks forward this weekend, the Red Cross says you should also test your smoke alarms to make sure they’re working properly.

Illinois Red Cross CEO Kellie O’Connell says working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half. She says people often have only about two minutes to escape a burning home, making early warning from an alarm critical.

The Red Cross recommends installing smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms. Alarms should be tested monthly, and batteries replaced at least once a year if the model requires it. Smoke alarms should also be replaced every ten years because sensors become less sensitive over time.

The organization also encourages families to practice a two-minute escape plan, making sure everyone in the household knows at least two ways out of every room and where to meet outside the home. Parents are also encouraged to teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do if it goes off.

More fire safety information is available at RedCross.org. The Red Cross is also recognizing March as Red Cross Month, highlighting the volunteers who make up about 90 percent of the organization’s workforce and respond when disasters strike.