Spring Ahead One Hour This Weekend

Daylight saving time starts this weekend and that means it is time to move clocks ahead one hour Saturday night.

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens, said, however, that changing clocks is not the only thing a person should do before going to bed Saturday night.

“You are going to lose an hour but what I want you to do is going to keep you from losing a life,” said Hudgens. “That is change the batteries in your smoke alarms. If you don’t have a smoke alarm, Georgia law says you have to. They are very inexpensive.”

He also said many local fire departments can help people get and install smoke alarms.

Hudgens said having a working smoke alarm doubles the chances a person will survive a fire in their home.

So far in 2015, there have been 28 fire fatalities in Georgia. In 22 of those fire, Hudgens says investigators were unable to determine if the home had a working smoke alarm present.

Hudgens also recommended changing batteries in flashlights and weather radios at the same time the smoke alarm batteries are changed.

Also, he said this is a good time for families to make sure they have an emergency plan in place.

“You need to have an escape plan out of every room in your house and practice that escape plan and then when you get outside, you need to have a designated place you would meet outside so every family member can be accounted for, “said Hudgens.

Once again, do not forget to turn clocks ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night.