News Release from: Oregon State Fire Marshal

OREGONIANS ENCOURAGED TO TEST SMOKE ALARMS WHEN CHANGING THEIR CLOCKS
Posted: October 28th, 2009 4:07 PM

Oregon State Fire Marshal Randy Simpson urges residents to test their smoke alarms when changing their clock from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time Sunday, November 1st.

Oregon smoke alarm laws are different from most other states. Since 1999, Oregon law requires all ionization-only smoke alarms sold in the state to have a hush feature; and if an ionization-only smoke alarm is also solely battery operated, it must come with a long-life lithium battery designed to last up to 10 years.

“Oregonians should first test their smoke alarm battery before automatically replacing it,” says State Fire Marshal Randy Simpson. “If you have an ionization-only alarm that is solely battery powered, it should come with a long-life battery. If your alarm has one of these batteries, you may not need to replace it every time you change your clock, that’s why we encourage you to test your alarm first.”

There are many different types of smoke alarms and they may be identified in different ways. To help you determine your alarm type and answer questions about batteries, recommended alarm replacement schedules and other smoke alarm information, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/CommEd_SA_Program.shtml#Smoke_Alarm_Q___A.

Working smoke alarms provide an early warning to a fire, allowing you vital minutes to escape and increasing your chances of surviving a fire. Additional safety tips:
. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area
. Replace smoke alarms 8-10 years old or older
. Hard-wired alarms should have battery back-ups
. Never disconnect or remove batteries from smoke alarms for other uses
. Make a home escape plan and practice it

For more smoke alarm and fire safety information, contact your local fire department or visit: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/Com_Ed_Section.shtml.