By Katie Knapp
Omaha, NE – Daylight Savings Time takes effect this Sunday, and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal says the time change is a good opportunity to test your smoke detector.
John Falgione says when you set your clocks ahead one hour, you should also test your smoke detector to make sure it's working properly. He says ideally, smoke alarms should be tested once a month. Falgione says a properly maintained smoke detector will last five to ten years.
Falgione says there should be at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home. If you have children, there should be alarms in their bedrooms as well. . He says the time change is also a good opportunity to test your carbon monoxide detector if you have one.
Eight people died in fires last year in Nebraska. The State Fire Marshal's Office says 19 percent of smoke alarms in homes nationwide don't work.