For years, the fire prevention messaging was simple and snappy: When you change your clocks for daylight saving time, change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.
If Congress does away with the biannual clock change, as the Senate this week proposed, that reminder wonât be there anymore. Fire protection officials said theyâre not too worried.
âIâve got to say that I hadnât thought about it,â said Edward Williams Jr., president of the Fire Prevention Association of Massachusetts and a deputy chief in the Brockton Fire Department when asked about the potential implications of the Senate legislation to make daylight saving time permanent. âThe good thing right now is we tell people to check them monthly anyway.â Many detectors in new homes are sealed, so people cannot borrow their batteries to put in the TV remote or a childâs toy, he said.
