Spring forward this Sunday (3/12 @ 2am) with safety in mind! The time change is a good time to make sure that items you rely on during emergencies and power outages have working batteries and/or are charged up and ready to go! This includes: – Flashlights (avoid using candles for light, especially when there’s a potential for a gas leak) – Portable cell phone chargers… – Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms – many alarms are hardwired, however all alarms, even if they’re hardwired, have batteries that are a backup power source for power outages. – Replace batteries once a year or when the alarm “chirps” with a low battery warning. – There is an exception – if your alarm has a lithium battery that is sealed into the unit, you cannot and should not replace it. – Replace your alarm completely according to the manufacturer’s instructions – generally when it’s 10 years old.