Change Your Clocks and Batteries This Weekend

If you like sleep, this might be your favorite night of the year.

At 2 a.m. Sunday, daylight saving time officially ends in most parts of the United States.

That means you should turn your clocks back an hour when you go to bed Saturday night. That's right, you get an extra hour of sleep.

Clocks were turned ahead an hour in March to begin daylight saving time. We will be on so-called standard time as of 2 a.m. Sunday.

That's the pattern in the Northern Hemisphere. It's the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere. They begin daylight saving time at this time of year.

The purpose of daylight saving time is to increase the number of sunlight hours in the evening during the summer.

Supporters say this makes it safer for children who play outside during the summer. They also say it reduces energy use because people use lights and other electrical devices less.

Fire prevention officials also urge people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms whenver they turn their clocks forward or backward.

According to the website timeanddate.com, daylight saving time was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, but it wasn't implemented until 1916 when several European countries adopted it during World War One.

Daylight saving time was first introduced in the United States by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942 during World War Two. It caused confusion from 1945 to 1966 for trains, buses and the broadcasting industry because states were free to establish their own standards.

Congress ended the confusion by passing the Uniform Time Act of 1966, although there are still some pockets of the country where time standards are different.

Also, here are some tips and additional information from a CAL Fire press release:

This Sunday, Californians will be rolling back their clocks as daylight saving comes to an end on November 6.

CAL FIRE and fire departments across the state are reminding residents to replace the batteries in all smoke alarms as well as their carbon monoxide (CO) alarm when they change their clocks.

“We recommend changing the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, CAL FIRE.

“While you are spending a couple minutes to change the time on all your clocks, it’s so easy just to add an extra minute to ensure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarm all have fresh, new batteries as well.”
 
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths occurred in homes without working smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms increase the change of surviving a home fire by 50 percent.
 
For decades, firefighters have used the time change as a reminder for residents to change their smoke alarm batteries. This year, officials are adding carbon monoxide alarms to their message following a new state law requiring all single-family homes have a carbon monoxide alarm.
 
CAL FIRE has the following tips on smoke alarms:

• Test smoke alarms once a month.

• Replace batteries in all smoke alarms and CO alarms twice a year.

• Don’t “borrow” or remove batteries from smoke & CO alarms even temporarily.

• Regularly vacuum or dust smoke & CO alarms to keep them working properly.

• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

• Don’t paint over smoke or CO alarms.

• Practice family fire drills so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off.

Find more information visit the CAL FIRE Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.