By Jacob Just

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The American Red Cross is reminding everyone to test their smoke detectors as Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday morning and clocks are turned back one hour.

“This weekend, please ‘turn and test’ to help protect your family from home fires, which tragically take seven lives each day in the U.S.,” said Lynn Speral, CEO of the Red Cross Dakotas Region. “Because working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half, we urge you to test your smoke alarms and practice your escape plan with everyone in your household.”

The American Red Cross asks residents to install smoke detectors on every level of their home, test smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries at least twice a year, and practice their home fire escape plan. The American Red Cross has installed nearly 2 million smoke detectors, free of charge, to homes across the country, including 18,000 in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota through its Home Fire Campaign. This initiative has saved over 642 lives across the US.

For more information on home fire preparedness, click here.