As the clock ticks towards daylight saving time, the Las Cruces Fire Department is urging the community to pair the annual time adjustment with critical safety checks. As we all prepare to 'spring ahead' on March 9, remember that this is the perfect opportunity to ensure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in top working order, a move that could potentially save lives.
On the eve of daylight saving time, which officially begins at 2 a.m. that Sunday, most will rightly wind their clocks forward before slipping into bed, but what is often overlooked is the silent sentinel in our homes designed to alert us to smoke and unseen dangers, the humble detector which needs our attention too and it is a simple act that can, in a moment, become a barrier against tragedy.
To foster a culture of safety, the fire department recommends installing new batteries in all your detectors and testing them not once, but at least twice a year, with daylight saving time's commencement and cessation offering easy-to-remember benchmarks for this task. Following these guidelines is a low-effort yet high-impact action every resident can and should take.
To ensure your smoke detector is functioning, the Las Cruces Fire Department suggests a simple test, press and hold the "test" button, and if it emits a strong beep or ring, your safety net is secure, this is according to the City of Las Cruces. But one word of caution, however, avoid using candles or matches to test detectors as this can damage the sensors which could cause them to fail when you most need them, when actual flames threaten the sanctity of your abode.
