News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Livingston Fire Chief Rocky Dial said he recommends checking a home’s smoke alarm when daylight saving time ends Saturday night.
Dial said replacing the batteries and testing is important, as well as replacing the alarm itself if it’s over 10 years old. Dial said he sees the results of not checking smoke alarms first hand when responding to emergencies.
“We have several calls that we go to where they have had an actual fire, whether it be a small kitchen fire or an actual fire in the residence,” Dial said. “Where the detectors are non-functioning due to the fact that the batteries are dead in them or they have got low and people have just took them out and not replaced them.”
Dial said if someone does not have a functioning smoke alarm they can reach out to their local fire department. Through a partnership with the state, many departments can help someone with fire protection.
“Go ahead and reach out to your local fire departments, many of them are partnered with the state of Tennessee,” Dial said. “They have smoke detectors that they can come and install for you, so if you don’t have any or if they’re not working it’s a good time just to reach out.”
Dial said this is also a good time of year for a home to go over the emergency evacuation plan. That way everyone in the home knows how to respond if a fire happens.
“Know two ways out of your home, have a meeting place to go to once you get out to make sure that everybody is out,” Dial said. “Just have a good plan as to what to do in the event of an emergency.”
Dial said local departments can help with creating an emergency evacuation plan for the home. Also, Dial said another important safety tip this holiday season is making sure kids are wearing something to increase their visibility while trick-or-treating.
