CHANGE YOUR SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES WHEN YOU TURN BACK YOUR CLOCK ON NOV. 2

Fredericksburg, Va. - The end of daylight saving time on Nov. 2 is a handy yearly reminder to test your smoke alarm and change the batteries.

The risk of dying in a home fire drops 50% in homes with working smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Home fires increase during the fall and winter months, peaking in December and January.

Most house fires start in the kitchen and are related to cooking. Having a working smoke alarm could save your life when you have as little as two minutes to escape to safety.

At Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) safety is our number one priority. Our cooperative encourages you to test your smoke alarms monthly. Change the batteries every year – such as the end of daylight saving time in November – and don’t use smoke alarms that are older than 10 years.

Here are other smoke alarm safety tips:

• Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each sleeping area.
• Install alarms at every level of your home, including the basement.
• Interconnect the smoke alarms. When one sounds, they all sound.
• Keep doors closed. They may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.

REC provides electric service to over 183,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., the Cooperative operates and maintains more than 18,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. For more information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.