Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries or Smoke Alarms

Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday when we fall back one hour. The Plainfield Fire Protection District would like to remind you to also change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks. Even smoke alarms that are hard-wired have batteries so they will work during power outages. The exception is smoke alarms with built-in/sealed ten year batteries. By 2023 a new Illinois law will require all homes to have smoke alarms with built-in/sealed ten year batteries. This year consider replacing removable battery operated smoke alarms with units that have built-in/sealed batteries. The batteries in these units will not need to be changed for the life of the smoke alarm which is ten years. How old are your home’s smoke alarms? Smoke alarms need to be replaced every ten years. If you need assistance changing the batteries or if you have questions call us at 815-436-5335. Working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors save lives!

What is the New Illinois Smoke Alarm Law?
– Since 1988, all dwellings in Illinois have been required to have smoke alarms.
– In 2017, Public Act 200 was passed to update the Illinois Smoke Detector Act to reflect advances in technology.
– Come January 1, 2023, single and multi-family homes that are still using smoke alarms with removable batteries are required to install new alarms that feature 10-year sealed battery alarms.
Exemptions*
– Homes built after 1988 that already have hardwired smoke alarms.
– Homes with wireless integrated alarms that use low-power radio frequency communications, Wi-Fi, or other wireless Local Area Networking capability.

Here’s a link for more information about smoke alarms from the National Fire Protection Association: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Smoke-alarms. For more information about carbon monoxide detectors visit: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Carbon-monoxide. Visit the Plainfield Fire Protection District website at www.PlainfieldFPD.org.