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Community Corner

Turn Back! Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday at 1:59 a.m.

And switch out those smoke detector batteries while you're at it.

Time to "fall back."

Yep, Daylight Saving Time is about to end and Standard Time returns. You need to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 a.m., or you will be late and not in sync with the rest of the world.

According to the web site Webexhibits.org, "The majority of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to Standard Time on the first Sunday in November. Places in the U.S. and its territories that don't follow this routine include: Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and Arizona."

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In the U.S., clocks change at 2 a.m. local time. In the spring, clocks spring forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3 a.m.; in the fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1 a.m.

The web site also reports that, "in the U.S., 2 a.m. was originally chosen as the changeover time because it was practical and minimized disruption. Most people were at home and this was the time when the fewest trains were running. It is late enough to minimally affect bars and restaurants, and it prevents the day from switching to yesterday, which would be confusing. It is early enough that the entire continental U.S. switches by daybreak, and the changeover occurs before most early shift workers and early churchgoers are affected."

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Safety Reminders

Many suggest homeowners change the batteries in their smoke detectors at the same time they change their clocks.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, nationally, about 75 percent of failed smoke alarms are due to missing batteries.

"Smoke alarms save lives,” says OCFA Fire Marshal Laura Blaul. "The smoke alarm provides extra time to exit your home, greatly increasing your chance of survival in a house fire. In over 70 percent of home fires and nearly all fire deaths in Orange County, no working smoke alarm was present. They are one of the best safety devices you can buy and install to protect you and your family. There is no excuse not to ensure yours are working today.”

In a press release from OCFA, it reports that it has developed a new program called “Install, Inspect, Protect.” Key components include:

Install:

  • Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, inside each sleeping area, and in every hallway leading to sleeping areas.
  • Replace the entire unit every 10 years.

Inspect:

  • Test your hard-wired and battery-operated smoke alarms every month.
  • Change the batteries twice a year, when changing your clocks for both battery-operated and hard-wired smoke alarms.
  • Clean your smoke alarms every year.

Protect:

  • Plan a home escape plan and ensure that everyone in the household knows the sound the alarm makes and what to do if they hear it.
  • Identify two ways out of each room and designate a meeting place outside the home to account for family members in the event of an emergency.
  • Practice your home fire drills every six months and remember to crawl low under the smoke and go.
  • Call 911 immediately and ensure that everyone knows your home escape plan.

 The good news—on March 27, we get to spring forward.

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