Turn Back the Hands of Time Weekend and Important Safety Reminder from Red Cross

Daylight Saving Time Ends on Sunday, Red Cross Issues Call to Test Smoke Alarms 

When you turn back the hands of time before you hit the hay on Saturday, November 2 (and make up for that hour you lost back in March) take heed of the important information from the Red Cross.

As people turn their clocks back this weekend for the end of daylight saving time, the Red Cross in Connecticut asks everyone to also test their smoke alarms.

“Home fires are our community’s most frequent disaster, and we ask everyone to ‘turn and test’ this weekend to help protect your family,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “Just in the past year Red Cross volunteers responded to 700 home fires in Connecticut to help people recover. You can help stay safe by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your escape plan with everyone in your household.”

TURN AND TEST FOR FIRE SAFETY The threat of home fires — which are most often caused by cooking and heating equipment — increases with the holidays and cold weather. As daylight saving time ends, please follow the steps below to prepare your household. For more information, visit redcross.org/homefires or download the free Red Cross Emergency App (search “American Red Cross” in app stores.)

  • Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Place them inside and outside bedrooms, and sleeping areas.
  • Test smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed. Test smoke alarms monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it. It’s also a great time to check carbon monoxide alarms.
  • Practice your home fire escape plan. Include at least two ways to get out of every room. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet. Practice your plan until everyone can escape in two minutes or less.

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES For five years, the Red Cross has been working with partners to install free smoke alarms in high-risk communities and help families create escape plans through its national Home Fire Campaign — which so far has saved at least 640 lives across the country. In Connecticut, the Red Cross and local partners have:

  • Installed more than 26,600 free smoke alarms.
  • Reached more than 6,700 children through youth preparedness programs.
  • Made more than 10,600 households safer from the threat of home fires.
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Submitted by Brewster, NY

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