When you turn your clocks ahead this weekend, also remember to do something that could save you and your family in the event of a house fire…
“Each year, we launch a campaign and it revolves around Daylight Saving Time, where we just send out a reminder to everyone to really check your smoke alarms, make sure they’re working properly.”
Deputy Insurance Commissioner David Browning says it’s not enough just to replace the battery. He says you need to have a conversation with your family…
“You know, we really highly recommend that everyone make sure that they understand what the smoke alarm sounds like. Press the button up there (for) the beeping sound. If you have a family or kids, make sure they understand exactly what that smoke alarm is and how to respond to it.”
Last year, 72 Mississippians died in house fires—and in 61 per cent of those tragedies, there wasn’t a working smoke alarm in the home. So far this year, the Mississippi Insurance Department says the percentage is even higher with almost 70 per cent of the 23 fire fatalities occurring in homes without a smoke detector—including the most recent fire death Tuesday night in West Point.
