SACRAMENTO – Cal Fire and the Office of the State Fire Marshal want to remind Californians that Sunday, Nov. 1, when you turn back your clocks, is the perfect opportunity to change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

“Cal Fire advocates the ‘Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery’ campaign, to help families stay safe and save lives,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Director Del Walters. “By taking the time to replace the battery in your smoke alarm, you can sleep better knowing that you’ve provided one of the best ways to alert your family should a fire occur.”

When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the households with non-working smoke alarms now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries.

Cal Fire has the following tips on smoke alarms:

• Test smoke alarms once a month;

• Replace batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year;

• Never remove the batteries from smoke alarms, not even temporarily;

• Regularly vacuum or dust smoke alarms to keep them working properly;

• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years;

• Don’t paint over smoke alarms;

• Practice family fire drills so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off.

Find more information visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov .