Victorians are being urged to change their smoke alarm batteries as they put their clocks back when daylight savings ends this Sunday 3 April.
Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Ben Carroll joined the MFB and CFA to raise awareness at Federation Square today where children competed in smoke alarm themed events.
Activities included a smoke alarm obstacle course and an AFL handball competition using a smoke alarm shaped target.
The safety warning comes as temperatures drop and more people start firing up their heaters and dryers.
Only working smoke alarms save lives. People are four times more likely to die if there is a fire and they don’t have a working smoke alarm installed.
When you change your clock this Sunday, remember to test your smoke alarms and change the batteries.
If your smoke alarm is more than ten years old, you need to replace it with a long life lithium battery powered alarm.
For more information on smoke alarms and fire safety visit or
Quotes attributable to Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Ben Carroll
“The end of daylight savings serves as the perfect reminder for people to change their smoke alarm batteries.”
“A working smoke alarm saves lives by alerting people early and giving them time to escape, as a fire can grow to the size of an entire room in two to three minutes.”
“Your sense of smell is reduced while you sleep and a working smoke alarm can mean the difference between life and death.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020