Daylight Savings Time Kicks In at 2 a.m.

Daylight savings time starts at 2 a.m. Sunday March 13. Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead (from 2 a.m. to  3 a.m.) by one hour.

Daylight savings time has started the second Sunday of March since 2007, in an effort to save energy nationwide.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, during DST the "daylight" begins an hour later in the morning and lasts an hour longer in the evening. This change helps keep the hours of daylight coordinated with the time that most people are active.

 As the time change approaches on Sunday, March 13, the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing the batteries in their smoke alarms, according to a press release issued by his office.

 “Take time to change the batteries in your smoke alarms, testing your smoke alarms, planning two ways out and practicing escape routes with the entire family.  Being prepared and knowing what to do if fire happens to occur can save your life and the lives of your loved ones,” says State Fire Marshal Charles M. Duffy.

 Smoke alarms most often fail because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries so maintenance is a simple, effective way to protect your family and reduce home fire deaths.  In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire.  Warnings from smoke alarms can provide those critical extra seconds people need to get out of their homes safely.

In 2010 in Washington State, approximately 62 percent of fire deaths occurred in homes without working smoke alarms and the peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping.  Ensuring smoke alarms are operational is critical to life safety.  Smoke alarms are designed to detect the presence of smoke and alert occupants to danger.

For more information about fire safety, please visit the State Fire Marshal website atwww.wsp.wa.gov/fire/firemars.htm.

-- Information from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Office of the State Fire Marshal.