Even though time has little effect on daily life in Alaska, here’s a reminder to change your clocks early Sunday morning. In spring, we ‘spring forward’ to Daylight Saving Time and Sunday, we’ll change our clocks to ‘fall’ back to Standard Time.
As people turn their clocks back this weekend for the end of Daylight Saving Time, authorities are asking everyone to test their smoke alarms.
Kenai Fire Chief Tony Prior spoke to KSRM:
“Yeah, as always, we’d like to try to get that PSA out there that anytime we do the Daylight Saving Time is a perfect time for you to check the batteries and replace them in your smoke detectors. But also, when you’re looking at those to replace them, make sure that the detectors are no more than 10 years old. We recommend that you replace them after 10 years of service anyways. It’s a great time when you’re replacing those batteries to also take a look at the manufacture date of the detectors and determine if it’s time to actually replace them or not.”
Tanguy Libbrecht, CEO, American Red Cross of Alaska said:
“It’s critical to take action now to be as safe as possible as the threat of home fires increases with the holidays and cooler weather. Since July, Red Cross volunteers in this area responded to 109 home fires serving a total of 264 people. The good news is that you can take a few simple steps this weekend to help protect your loved ones.”
But, there’s a growing number of Americans not on board with changing the clocks back and forth. ABC’s Will Ganss says:
“In the last four years, 19 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time, but can these states just go rogue — and keep their clocks the same year round? Not quite. Congress would need to pass a federal law to make the switch to year-round daylight saving time. That’s because it was a federal law — the 1966 Uniform Time Act — that got us into this in the first place, though daylight saving time has been around since World War One as a way to conserve coal. Since then, the Department of Transportation claims the switch saves energy, prevents accidents and curbs crime. Will Ganss, ABC News, New York”
If you aren’t able to reach your smoke detector, or need assistance for other reasons, call the non-emergency number for Central Emergency Services at (907) 262-4792 or the Kenai Fire Department at (907) 283-7666.