Please Don't Die...

Change Those Batteries

Every year Christmas Day, I change the batteries in all the smoke detectors in the house. I can't remember where I heard about the technique - the idea being you make the change on a day when you're going to remember it. This year I'm really cognizant of the job - we had a fire-related death in our neighborhood two months ago (actually just a couple of doors away). Smoke detectors save lives folks, but they have to be operative. You'd be surprised how many fires occur in dwellings where smoke detectors were present, but no batteries.

If you don't have smoke detectors on every floor of your dwelling, get them. Today. If you can't afford them, contact your local fire department and ask if they have a program to provide them - many departments do. In Martin County, call Fire Rescue headquarters at 772.288.5710 and ask...