Gwinnett Daily Post

Daylight-saving time starts on Sunday at 2 a.m., meaning you need to move your clocks forward one hour.

With the change, the Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services encourages residents to check and change the batteries in the smoke alarms with the change of the clocks.

"Smoke alarms save lives," said Lt. Colin Rhoden of Gwinnett County Fire. "Today's smoke alarms detect smoke particles before they can get to you, giving you added time to escape."

He also said most people who die in residential fires "don't wake up and succumb to smoke inhalation."

Part of regular smoke alarm maintenance includes keeping it dust free, testing it during your home safety plan and replacing alarms that are 10 years or older. Fire officials recommend placing at least one smoke alarm on each level of the house, especially outside of bedrooms and at the top of staircase landings.