JOPLIN, Mo. — Now that the clocks have changed following Daylight Saving Time, a local fire department has another reminder for this time of year.

The Joplin Fire Department is urging the local community to also use this time to change the batteries in your home’s smoke alarms.

According to a report in 2019 by the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke detectors and alarms in your home decrease the chances of death caused by fire by over 50 percent.

And the main way that fire alarms fail to work is usually caused by dead or missing batteries, and officials say batteries should be changed twice a year, and completely replaced every 10 years.

With this reminder comes some other ones, like having your furnace checked, covering the fireplace with a screen, and keeping a close eye on your space heaters, making sure they’re not too close to flammable items.