This Sunday marks the end of daylight savings time. Daylight Saving Time (United States) began Sunday, March 11, 2012, 2:00am, and ends Sunday, November 4, 2012, 2:00am. (Except Arizona and Hawaii) Move your clocks forward 1 hour in spring and back 1 hour in fall ("spring forward, fall back"). At 2:00 AM, most parts of the United States will “Fall Back” (turn your clocks back) to 1:00 AM, daylight savings happens every year.

Excellent Opportunity

Daylight savings gives us an excellent opportunity to do some very important things to increase our preparedness, protect our families and strengthen our communities. Along with adjusting your clocks, do these three simple checks, CCR (Change, Check & Refresh):

1.       Check & Change- Check to make sure all smoke detectors in and around your home are working. If you like in a multiple unit home (condominium, townhouse, apartment, etc…) remind your neighbors. Post signs in common areas like laundry rooms and mail boxes that its daylight savings and check/change smoke alarms. If your smoke alarm is working, but the neighbor two units away does not having a working smoke alarm…you can still be affected by a devastating fire, water and smoke damage. We must work as a team. Change you batteries in your smoke alarms. By changing the battery is all of your smoke alarms at daylight savings, you reduce the chance of smoke alarm failure.

2.       Check your GO Bags- Hey, since you are getting new batteries for your smoke alarms, why not check to make sure you GO bag has fresh batteries. Just as Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy has crippled the East Coast, disaster does not discriminate. How you will survive will definitely be decided by your level of preparedness.

3.       Refresh- Refresh your water and food supplies in your Go Bags and disaster supplies. Having fresh water and food that is safe to eat will be vital to you and your family being survivors and not victims.