Changing Smoke Detector Batteries at Daylight Savings Time
New York, NY–United Spinal Association, a national membership group for persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders like multiple sclerosis, post-polio, spina bifida, and ALS, urges persons with and without disabilities to change home smoke detector batteries as daylight savings time begins.
Planning and fire prevention are concerns for all individuals, but even more 
important for persons with mobility limitations like wheelchair, crutch, walker, or cane use. The place to start is getting information on the various types of smoke and heat detectors as well as learning where to install them in the home.
Statistics show that detectors can reduce the risk of fire-related fatalities by 60%. Therefore, getting detectors and being able to maintain them, whether independently or with the assistance of family or friends, is critical.
Local fire departments are the best resource on what to do in the event of a smoke or fire emergency. Professional firefighters can identify potential hazards in the home or workplace and can help plan one or more escape routes. The most important fire planning rule is “exit the home as quickly as possible.”
United Spinal Association offers a free downloadable pamphlet, Fire Safety for Wheelchair Users at Work and at Home, also available in Spanish, at www.unitedspinal.org/disability-publications-resources/. Printed copies of these fire safety pamphlets may also be purchased at this Web address.