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Power Hour set for Nov. 1 from 10 to 11 a.m.

100 Mile House invited to join in nation-wide smoke alarm test

British Columbia is one of 10 provinces/territories to participate in a national simultaneous smoke alarm test, and all British Columbians are invited to join in.

The Great Canadian Smoke Alarm Test takes place on Nov. 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. Participating is easy and could prevent fire tragedies in B.C. communities.

To participate homeowners simply download, follow and confirm the completion of a simple four-step checklist available on safeathome.ca/powerhour.

The event is being billed as the Power Hour by the B.C. Liberal government because of the huge impact on preventing fire tragedies that we achieve when homeowners ensure their smoke alarms are properly maintained with fresh batteries, or, replaced if they are past their 10-year lifespan.

It puts a new twist on time change weekend, says Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness.

"We are asking every family to participate in the Power Hour to test all smoke alarms in the home and replace any that are over 10 years old. Smoke alarms truly do save lives," says 100 Mile House Fire-Rescue fire chief Roger Hollander.

Follow these steps:

Walk through your home to make sure you have a smoke alarm on every storey, including the basement, and outside all sleeping areas or inside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed.

Check all smoke alarm expiry dates. If it is more than 10 years old, or the year it was made cannot be identified, replace the alarm.

Press the "test button" on each smoke alarm. f it sounds, it confirms power is present and circuits are operating.

For added protection, follow the same steps for carbon monoxide alarms.