St. Lawrence County residents are set to turn their clocks back tonight, and the Firemen’s Association of New York is urging people to check their smoke alarm batteries.

The end of Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 p.m, so North Country residents should remember to “fall back” one hour overnight.

A release from FASNY says smoke alarms equipped with sealed-in, non-removable batteries last for 10 years. These alarms do not require any battery changes during their lifespan and are nearly impossible to disable. FASNY also encourages the installation of home fire sprinklers, which dramatically reduce civilian fire deaths and injuries, as well as protecting the responding firefighters.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three of every five home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or working smoke alarms. Firefighters frequently encounter smoke alarms with missing or dead batteries, meaning these homes are defenseless against fire. The fall time change provides an opportunity for families to take a few moments to check their smoke alarms and ensure they are in proper working order.

“New York State has already experienced a tragic year for fire deaths,” said FASNY President Steven E. Klein. “This is particularly disturbing considering that winter, the busiest time of the year for home fires, has yet to truly arrive. Installing and maintaining working smoke alarms, particularly smoke alarms with 10-year batteries, is the most important thing people can do to protect themselves and their families. Taking a few minutes to inspect and install smoke alarms now could be the difference between tragedy and survival.”

In December of 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation banning the sale of smoke alarms equipped with removeable batteries in New York State. This is an important step in the effort to reduce fire deaths in New York. The legislation takes effect in April of 2019.

Smoke Alarm Tips from the NFPA and FASNY:

• Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas.

• Test smoke alarms monthly to make sure they’re working. Replace smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old.

• Interconnect your smoke alarms so that when one smoke alarm sounds, they all do.

• If you have an alarm with a removable battery, be sure to check the batteries every six months, and change the batteries every year. If a battery is starting to lose its power, the unit will usually chirp to warn you. Do NOT disable the unit.

• Vacuum or blow out any dust that might have accumulated in the unit.

• NEVER borrow a battery from an alarm to use somewhere else.

• NEVER paint a smoke or CO alarm.

• Smoke alarms should not be installed near a window because drafts could interfere with their operation.

• Families should also develop and practice a home fire escape plan.

• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing smoke alarms and replacing the batteries.