Daylight Saving Time comes to a close Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 a.m. in the U.S. Clocks won’t spring forward again, saving light and keeping days longer, until March 9, 2014.
Decatur County residents are encouraged to do some things this weekend other than set their clocks backward, however.
Fire safety officials in the community are reminding    residents that when clocks are set back, batteries should be replaced in smoke detectors and fire safety plans should be reviewed.
Fall and winter are seasons that historically see an increase in fires — this could be due to more cooking around the holidays, more space heaters are up and running and the cold, dry weather makes conditions more favorable for flames.
Doyle Welch, Major of Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement with the Bainbridge Public Safety Department, said the time to fall back is also time to change batteries in smoke detectors.
“It is important to not only change the batteries in your smoke detector twice a year, but to perform monthly checks to insure your smoke detector is functioning properly,” Welch said.  “Even if your smoke detectors are hardwired, replace the batteries in case of a power outage. It is also time to maintenance your smoke detector by removing dust and dirt that could cause your smoke detector to malfunction. By doing so, you could save a life.”
Welch said statistics show that working smoke detectors in the home reduce the chance of being killed in a fire by 50 percent.
Those who do not have smoke detectors, or if their smoke detector is more than 8 to 10-years-old, now is the time to install or replace smoke detectors on every level of the home and outside every sleeping area.
When installing smoke detectors one should mount the smoke detector high on the wall but at least six inches down from the ceiling, if installing on the ceiling, the detectors should be installed at least six inches away from the wall.
For questions about smoke detectors or how to check them, contact Bainbridge Public Safety at (229)-248-2038.