The Las Cruces Fire Department encourages tenants and homeowners to check smoke alarms and install new batteries this weekend when setting clocks to ‘fall back’ to daylight saving time.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, and the fire department urges residents to install fresh batteries in their smoke alarms when clocks are set back one hour to standard time. Most people tend to adjust their clocks before bedtime Saturday evening.
LCFD also suggests homeowners test smoke alarms to ensure they are in proper working order. To test the operation of a smoke alarm, simply press and hold the alarm’s “test” button. If it beeps, or rings loudly, it is working properly.
Smoke alarms should not be tested by lighting a candle or matches under the detector. Repeated use of heat or smoke to activate the device can cause them to malfunction when an actual fire occurs.
For more information on smoke alarms, call the Las Cruces Fire Department at (575) 528-3473.
