| The Ramsey Fire Department reminds residents to check their smoke detectors. If you have newer-style smoke detectors with a 10-year battery, you only need to test them regularly. Please confirm which type of smoke detector you have in your home.
Daylight Saving Time ends soon. New Jersey clocks will fall back one hour when Eastern Standard Time resumes at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges consumers to replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms this weekend. Fresh batteries allow smoke and CO alarms to function properly by alerting families to fire or the presence of deadly carbon monoxide in their homes.
CPSC estimates an average of 386,300 residential fires each year resulted in nearly 2,400 deaths between 2006 and 2008. Two-thirds of fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or alarms that are not working. It is important to replace batteries at least once a year and to test alarms every month to make sure they are working. CPSC recommends having smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside bedrooms, and inside each bedroom.
CPSC also estimates an annual average of 183 accidental non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning deaths related to consumer products from 2006 to 2008. Carbon monoxide is often called the "invisible killer" because it is a colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas. Many people may not realize they are being exposed. Carbon monoxide can be produced by incomplete burning of fuel in furnaces, portable generators, fireplaces, cars, and charcoal grills.
It is important to have working CO alarms in your home, on each level, and outside every sleeping area.
When you change your clock, remember to change your batteries. Stay safe. |
