Fire District 1 giving away free batteries

Published on Monday, October 27, 2008 9:57 AM CDT

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As the fall time change approaches, St. Tammany Fire District 1 wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives by changing the batteries in their smoke alarms.

To help, all fire stations in the district will be giving away free 9 volt Energizer batteries Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, while supplies last. The batteries will be distributed to adults only, with a limit of two per household.

The department has partnered on the project with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Energizer for nearly two decades.

The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple habit, to change smoke alarm batteries when changing clocks back to standard time each fall, this year on Nov. 2.

Statistics show that an average of three children per day dies in home fires, and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. The most commonly cited cause of nonworking smoke alarms is worn out or missing batteries. Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce death and injury. Fully functioning smoke alarms have been shown to cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

FD1 Chief of Fire Prevention Neil Ricca recommends that residents use the “extra” hour they save in the time change to test smoke alarms, as well as planning and practicing escape routes with the entire family. In addition, the IAFC suggests that smoke alarms be replaced every eight to 10 years.

For more information on fire safety call 646-4387.

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