Daylight time change opportunity to test smoke detectors

Carpentersville Firefighter Brent Aversano attatches a smoke detector into the hallway of Carpentersville resident Marie Lewandowski's home. Aversano, along with Lieutenant Tracy Donohue (left), firefighter Heidi Kern and Captain John Skillman (not pictured) visited Lewandowski's home Thursday as part of the "Remembering When" program teaching fall and fire prevention to elderly people. | Marianne Mather

The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal says it’s time to check the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Fire Marshal Matt Perez says the spring and autumn time changes for daylight saving time present a “built-in reminder to ensure your smoke alarms are working properly.”

Testing allows parents to alert children to the sound they make when they detect a problem. And Perez says families should practice their home escape plan.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that from 2009 to 2013, three in five home-fire deaths were in houses that either did not have smoke detectors or where they weren’t working properly.

A 2017 Illinois law requires all households to have 10-year smoke alarms installed by Jan. 1, 2023. Homes with hard-wired detectors are exempt.