Peterborough Fire Services reminds residents to check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Peterborough, ON - As clocks "fall back" one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3, 2024 Peterborough Fire Services urges residents to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

"Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are essential for home safety," says Fire Chief Chris Snetsinger. "When you change your clocks, make it a habit to test and inspect every alarm in your home."

Check the expiry date on each alarm and test them to ensure they're functional. For battery-operated alarms, replace the batteries unless you have a 10-year sealed battery model.

To stay safe in a fire emergency, early detection is critical and knowing how to respond when alarms sound can save lives. Remember, it's not just recommended-it's the law to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home.

Residents are reminded that 9-volt batteries can be fire hazards when not stored safely. It is unsafe to store 9-volt batteries in a drawer near paper clips, coins, pens, or other batteries. To be safe, cover the positive and negative posts with masking, duct, or electrical tape before disposing of the battery. Find more battery safety tips at nfpa.org.

The City of Peterborough works with Call2Recycle, a not-for-profit organization, that provides battery recycling programs nationwide to divert batteries from going to the City's landfill. Batteries can be dropped off at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot at 400 Pido Rd. and at locations throughout the city for safe disposal:

• City Hall, 500 George St. N.
• Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. ptbolibrary.ca
• Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 775 Brealey Dr.

Other battery drop-off locations in Peterborough:

• GreenUP Store, 378 Aylmer St.
• Kingan Home Hardware, 167 Simcoe St.

Visit recycleyourbatteries.ca for more information on battery recycling, including drop off locations for battery recycling.