Bossier City Fire Chief Sammy Halphen is reminding residents to change the batteries in their home smoke alarms when setting clocks forward one hour when daylight savings begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 14, 2010.

Chief Halphen says replacing batteries and then testing smoke alarms when changing clocks every spring and fall is a good way to help insure smoke alarms are always working properly.

According to the National Fire Protection Association from 2003-2006:

• Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• No smoke alarms were present in 40% of the home fire deaths.
• In 23% of the home fire deaths, smoke alarms were present but did not sound.

Bossier City residents can get a free smoke alarm by calling the Bossier City Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau at (318) 741-8704.

The program is available only to Bossier City residents. Residents can call and schedule a time for a Fire Prevention officer to come to their home and properly install the smoke alarm.

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