As the Nov. 1 time change approaches, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department reminds residents to make another change that could save their lives — the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Non-working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors rob residents of the protective benefits that these fire safety devices were designed to provide.

The most commonly cited cause of non-working alarms is worn or missing batteries.

To save lives and prevent needless injuries, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department has joined the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” campaign.

The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when changing clocks back to standard time each fall. 

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping.

Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. These alarms can give your family the extra seconds you need to get out of a home fire safely.

— Capt. Dave Zaniboni is the information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.