Change smoke alarm batteries for Daylight Saving Time: officials

The Chicago Fire Department is urging residents to use the start of Daylight Saving Time as a chance to prevent deaths from house fires.

When clocks move forward an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, residents are reminded to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, the department said in a statement.

“A large percentage of house fires result in a finding of non-working smoke detectors due to dead or removed batteries,” department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Fire officials suggest the batteries in smoke alarms should be changed twice a year, and alarms themselves should be replaced about every 10 years.