| SARASOTA COUNTY – Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 10, and Sarasota County Emergency Services personnel are reminding the public that it’s a great time to take safety precautions that could help protect their loved ones and their homes. Approximately 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. The start of daylight saving time is a great time to change batteries in smoke alarms and weather radios. Smoke alarms can save lives. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm in a home will provide an early warning signal to residents, providing them with a chance to escape in the event of an emergency. According to Sarasota County Fire Chief Michael Regnier, these safety tips could save lives: – Install smoke alarms on every level of the home. For extra safety install smoke alarms both inside and outside any sleeping areas, especially if you sleep with the bedroom door closed. – Make a habit to replace the batteries in smoke alarms when adjusting clocks for the time change. – Test smoke alarms monthly to ensure they are working properly. If you hear a “chirping” sound from a smoke alarm, change the battery right away. – Smoke alarms are good for 10 years then they need to be replaced. Write the purchase date with a marker on the back of the smoke alarm to know when it has reached its 10-year life span. Weather radios advise people of severe weather watches and warnings, buying extra time for them to react before dangerous storms hit their areas. When in the path of severe weather, such as a tornado, minutes and seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Sarasota County Emergency Services recommends getting weather radios that have Specific Area Message Encoding. Other than a weekly test, the radio will only alert when there are concerns for the programmed counties. For additional information regarding weather radios, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000. If you cannot afford a smoke alarm or for information on smoke alarms, contact Sarasota County Fire Prevention Office at 941-861-2290. Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at www.scgov.net (keywords: ADA compliance) |