Public Safety, Rockville Reports

Don’t Fall Back on a Faulty Smoke Detector

Daylight saving time comes to an end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, and clocks need to be wound back an hour, which you’ll probably want to do before you go to bed on Saturday. The annual time change is also a good reminder to check your home’s smoke alarms — they’re the best way of notifying you and your family of a fire.

State law requires that battery-operated smoke alarms be replaced every 10 years from the date of manufacture. The devices should also be tested at least once a month.

State law also calls for older smoke alarms to be replaced with new, sealed, long-life battery-powered smoke alarms. Hardwired 120-volt electric smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years with new 120-volt smoke alarms with battery backup to ensure proper and timely operation in a fire.

Homeowners with hardwired smoke alarms should not replace their devices with battery-powered alarms. Fire code-compliant smoke alarms can be purchased at most home improvement stores.

For more information visit www.rockvillemd.gov/firesafety or email Timothy Diehl, city fire marshal, at tdiehl@rockvillemd.gov.