Time turns back one hour from midnight tonight, Saturday 3 April with the end of daylight saving until we spring forward again in October.

South Australia’s fire services are reminding the community to perform one vital, life-saving annual habit.

The Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) and Country Fire Service (CFS) urge all South Australians to change their smoke alarm batteries - when winding their clocks back.

MFS Community Engagement Officer Angelo Mastripolito says changing smoke alarm batteries as daylight saving ends is an Australian tradition that’s too important to ignore.

“Statistics show that nearly half of all significant house fires in South Australia involve homes where smoke alarms had been disabled, or the batteries had gone flat.”

“With an average of 64 Australians dying in preventable house fires each year and up to 2,000 people receiving burns, changing smoke alarm batteries is the best way to give you and your family early warning to evacuate safely.” 

“If you’re planning to go away this Easter weekend, be sure change the batteries in your smoke alarms by the end of your Easter break. If you have elderly family or neighbours living alone, offer to help them out by fitting new batteries for them,” MFS Community Engagement Officer Mastripolito says.

MFS and CFS firefighters respond to hundreds of house fires across South Australia each year that cause destruction and heartache.

CFS Director Preparedness Operations Brett Loughlin says the early warning provided by smoke alarms can completely transform the outcome of a house fire.

“Working smoke alarms save lives. They allow you time to evacuate your home and call Triple Zero. This not only saves lives, but helps firefighters to save more of your precious home and belongings.

“For the small cost of new batteries, you’re investing in your family’s safety and protecting your home,” he says.

The MFS and CFS ask that when you change smoke alarm batteries this weekend, to check the age of your smoke alarms, which is printed on - or the inside of - the alarms.

If the date stamp shows your smoke alarms are ten years or older, it’s time to replace the alarms, as they become less reliable with age.

Thorough tips, information and advice about smoke alarms is available on the MFS website here.

Smoke alarms can be powered by disposable or long-life batteries or they can be hard-wired into the 240-volt power supply. Hard-wired smoke alarms (mains powered) also have back-up batteries. The back-up battery can be a 9-volt disposable battery, a long-life battery or a constantly recharging battery. (Check with the manufacturer's instructions.)

Image by Gabe Raggio from Pixabay