If your back is aching from shoveling the recent dumping of snow, perhaps this will make you feel a little better: daylight saving time is just around the corner.
At 2 a.m. Sunday, to be exact — clocks should be pushed forward one hour. So while we lose an hour overall, we're gaining sunlight by a couple of minutes every day, and it will be nice to enjoy it after work for a change.
Perhaps even more importantly, the North Shore Fire Department hopes you'll also celebrate the unofficial holiday by checking your smoke detectors and replacing their batteries. According to the National Fire Protection Association, even though nearly all homes have a smoke alarm, they were absent in 28 percent of homes that experienced a fire, and inoperable in about half.
In addition, 38 percent of all home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms, while 24 percent resulted from fires in homes in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate.
If you're not sure if your smoke detector is in working order, even with a new battery in place, contact the North Shore Fire Department for assistance.
