Set Your Clocks Ahead One Hour as Daylight Savings Time Starts
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – On Sunday, March 12, almost all of the United States and 78 other countries, will set their clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time.
Every year, Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts on the second Sunday of March, when clocks will be set forward an hour at 2 a.m.
These days, most of the electronics we use as timekeepers — smart phones and watches, cable boxes and even some clocks — will automatically make the correction.
But don’t forget about your oven, microwave or car clock. Hawaii or Arizona, are the only two states that don’t observe the twice-a-year time shift.
The Columbia Fire Department is offering some tips as DST approaches:
Roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or working smoke alarms. When smoke alarms should have worked but failed to operate, it is usually because batteries were missing, disconnected, or dead. NFPA provides the following guidelines around smoke alarms:
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.
- Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
- Replace the smoke alarm immediately if it doesn’t respond properly when tested.
- Smoke alarms with non-replaceable (long-life) batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, a warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
- For smoke alarms with any other type of battery, replace batteries at least once a year. If the alarm chirps, replace only the battery.
DST ends on the first Sunday of November.
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