A message from the Asbury Park Fire Department:
Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour this weekend for Daylight Saving Time. DST officially ends at 2:00am on Sunday, November 6, 2022.
While you’re changing your clocks, Asbury Park Fire Department urges all residents to check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and practice a home fire drill.
"The busiest time for home fires is during the fall and winter months,” said Fire Official Tee Gates, “A working smoke alarm provides critical early warning of a fire resulting in more time to react and put a fire escape plan into action. We're asking all residents to take a few minutes to check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms this weekend and conduct a home fire drill. It could be a life-saver."
The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 pm and 6 am (when most families are sleeping) and experts say you may have less than 2 minutes to escape a fire, making a working smoke alarm critical. Help keep your family safe by following these fire safety tips:
1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement (finished or unfinished) and in all sleeping areas. If you have a larger home you'll want to consider adding more alarms. Interconnected alarms will alert you to an emergency sooner. Be sure to check out all the "smart" features available – alarms can also alert your phone and more!
2. Smoke Alarms Expire. Retire old smoke alarms and replace with new 10 YEAR SEALED UNITS.
3. Plan and practice home fire drills. Decide in advance who will help family members that may need assistance escaping (young children, older adults or people with disabilities) and, establish an outside "meeting place" where everyone will meet.
4. Make sure children recognize the sound of your smoke alarm and how to respond to its signal.
5. Know your battery type. New Jersey’s Uniform Fire Code requires the use of sealed, 10-year battery-powered smoke alarms, however, it is important to understand that battery-only smoke alarms are only appropriate where battery-operated smoke alarms are permitted by code before hard-wired smoke alarm technology was developed. Remember: it is never acceptable to remove required hard-wired smoke alarms and replace with any type of battery-only smoke alarm.
For questions, please contact the Asbury Park Bureau of Fire Prevention at 732-774-7400.