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Save some
time¬—and perhaps a life—this weekend
American Red Cross recommends four smarter, safer ways to spend
Daylight Savings Time this weekend
(March 9, 2017) — Time, it is said, is on your side. That may not
always be the case, especially when losing an hour this weekend.
Daylight Savings Time kicks in on Saturday night, and rather than being
upset about that hour you lose when you set your clocks forward, the
Red Cross wants to recommend a safer, smarter way to spend your time.
1. Replace batteries in your smoke alarms. The common 9-volt batteries
in most smoke alarms generally last six months, so it’s good to replace
them twice a year. The “spring forward” and “fall back” time changes
are a good time to do this.
2. If you don’t have smoke alarms, or your smoke alarms are more than
10 years old, call the Red Cross and set up an appointment to have us
come to your home and install them for free.
3. Spend 15 minutes going over your family fire drill. You generally
have as little as two minutes to escape a home fire. That’s not a lot
of time when you’re trying to find your way through thick, black smoke
and flames. Make sure everyone in your house knows two ways to get out
of every room, and where to meet once out of the house. Remember, get
out, stay out and then call 911.
4. And, if your kids aren’t tired of monsters yet, have them download
the Red Cross Monster Guard app, which teaches kids how to prepare for
real-life emergencies through a fun and engaging game.
“The fastest way to escape a home that’s on fire is to actually know
that it’s on fire,” says Lynne Gump, executive director of the Northern
Miami Valley Ohio Chapter of the American Red Cross, “and the fastest
way to know that it’s on fire is with a smoke alarm. This is the
perfect time to make sure yours is in good working order.”
And, even if that doesn’t make you feel safer and happier, completing
all of these tasks should take you no more than 30 minutes tops,
meaning you won’t be losing too much sleep. And you’ll sleep better
knowing you’re safe.
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