Reminder: ‘Change clocks, check or replace alarms’ during Daylight Saving Time

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (WIFR) - When residents change their clocks to spring ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time (DST) this Sunday, March 12, Illinois’ updated Smoke Alarm Law will now influence how citizens have always checked their safety alarms.

The new law went into effect on January 1, 2023, and requires that alarms with 10-year sealed batteries be installed in all single or multi-family homes moving forward.

“We encourage everyone to take a hard look at their smoke alarms and make this change as soon as possible,” said Jim Kreher, Fire Chief of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District.

In Illinois, of the 97 fire deaths that occurred in 2021, 70% were the result of non-working smoke detectors.

For more information about Illinois’ new Smoke Alarm Law, visit https://www.ifsa.org/prevention-resources/smoke-alarm-law/.