Are You Ready to 'Fall Back?'

OK, we know times are changing. More people use smartphones to tell time, and they have digital watches and clocks that automatically adjust.

Still, it's important -- Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday at 2 a.m. Those of you who still have manual devices need to be sure to "fall back" -- reset your clocks  back an hour. You can now catch up on that hour of sleep you lost in the spring.

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services suggest that you change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, too.

Almost 3,000 people die every year in house fires, and in 2,000 of the deaths, there were no smoke alarm in the home or it wasn't working.

“Having an operational smoke alarm in your home should be your number one priority when it comes to protecting your family from an unforeseen tragedy," said Assistant Fire Chief of Operations David Dusik. "Making sure the smoke alarm has a fully charged battery is the best way to insure that everyone has a fighting chance to make it out of a burning structure in the event a disaster strikes."

Some facts from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Smoke alarms increase the chance of surviving a house fire 55 percent.

• In more than half of reported home fires, the smoke alarms didn't work because they were disconnected or the batteries were missing.

A few additional tips from Gwinnett County fire department:

• Replace batteries in Smoke and CO alarms twice a year.
• Test alarms once a month.
• Keep all alarms clean from dust and dirt.
• Never paint over alarms.
• Have a Home Fire Escape Plan and practice it with your family members.
• Replace any smoke or CO alarm after 10 years of use.