The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) reminds Illinoisians to test, inspect for expired alarms, and replace batteries in their smoke and CO alarms as they change the clock this weekend.

“It’s simple, working smoke alarms save lives! Replacing broken or expired smoke alarms will provide an early warning and help prevent loss of life due to fire,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. “Construction materials used in today’s homes are made from more synthetic materials which means they burn hotter and faster, while also producing toxic smoke. This means people typically have less than 3 minutes to escape their homes, which makes the early warning that smoke alarms provide even more vital.”

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