Daylight Saving Time reminder carries new fire safety message

MOUNT PROSPECT – When residents change their clocks to spring ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time on March 12, Illinois’ Smoke Alarm Law will influence how citizens check their safety alarms.

The new law went into effect Jan. 1 and requires that alarms with 10-year sealed batteries be installed in all single or multifamily homes moving forward.

Camp I Am Me by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance worked with the Illinois General Assembly to pass the new law, which evolves the annual Daylight Saving Time campaign message from “Change your clocks, change your smoke alarms” to requiring that citizens replace smoke alarms that have removable batteries or those that are not hardwired with a 10-year sealed alarm once they are past the manufactured date.

The law ties closely with Camp I Am Me’s core mission to educate the public about fire and burn prevention through a range of resources and events while also empowering burn injury survivors through supportive and enriching programs.

In recent years, the National Fire Prevention Association has reported that three of every five home fire deaths in the U.S. have resulted from nonworking smoke detectors. Of the 97 fire deaths that occurred in Illinois in 2021, 70% were the result of nonworking smoke detectors.

“Camp I Am Me is proud to have played an important role in updating the outdated law. It will undoubtedly save lives and prevent burn injuries, and reflects the latest advances in alarm technology,” said Philip Zaleski, executive director of Camp I Am Me.

Residents are not required to immediately install new alarms in homes with smoke alarms that were installed prior to Jan. 1, 2023, that have not exceeded their manufactured date. In addition, homes built after 1988 that have alarms that are hardwired or use wireless integrated alarms also are not required to have the sealed-battery alarms.

“We encourage everyone to take a hard look at their smoke alarms and make this change as soon as possible,” said Jim Kreher, the Camp I Am Me president and fire chief of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. “Modern technology has provided us with the opportunity to be better protected with a more reliable way to alert us to home fires and save lives and we should all take advantage of that.”

The cost of the 10-year sealed battery alarm is normally under $20 and saves money because batteries do not need to be replaced over their 10-year life cycle. When it is time to replace the sealed battery, an alert sounds letting the resident know.

For maximum protection in the home, smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside of each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.

For information about the new Illinois Smoke Alarm Law, visit https://www.ifsa.org/prevention-resources/smoke-alarm-law/.