"Remember that on Sunday, March 13, when you change your clocks, change your batteries," said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.
“Every second weekend in March, we turn the clocks ahead one hour. This is a good time to change the batteries in our smoke and carbon monoxide alarms,” Coan said. “March is one of the months where many fatal fires occur. They happen where we feel safest—at home–and at night when most people are sleeping. Making sure the smoke alarms are working is a simple, effective way to help your family survive an unexpected fire.
A working smoke alarm can double your family’s chance of surviving a fire and when combined with a home escape plan that is actually practiced, the chances are greater,” said Coan. “Many smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in our homes either run on battery power or have a battery back-up in case the power fails.
Not all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms use batteries, but many do. Some have a 10-year lithium battery that only needs to be changed once a decade.