ATLANTA — Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is urging everyone to change the batteries in their smoke alarms at the same time they change their clocks to daylight saving time on March 12.

“The annual change to daylight saving time is the perfect opportunity to make sure your smoke alarms are working properly,” Hudgens said. “Changing the batteries in each device is the easiest way to ensure continued protection of your family and property.”

In 2016, approximately 106 residential fires in Georgia resulted in 141 deaths. Of those fires, 96 of the homes did not have a working smoke alarm. This year, 22 Georgians have died in 18 residential fires, with only two of the homes having a working smoke alarm.

Hudgens encourages all residents to test and clean dust from the smoke alarms monthly. He also recommends that you plan and practice an escape route to the outside of your home in the event of a fire.

One exception to the “change your clocks, change your batteries” rule is smoke detectors installed by the Moultrie Fire Department. Until fairly recently, when the grant paying for the program expired, the fire department installed smoke detectors with lithium batteries in homes for free.

Those lithium batteries are supposed to last 10 years, Moultrie Fire Chief Ken Hannon said, but the fire department is finding some start running down around nine years. When the battery runs low, the smoke alarm will start chirping to let you know, he said, and you should call the fire department at 985-1805 to come take a look at it.

Hannon echoed Hudgens’ recommendation to test smoke alarms several times a year, but otherwise the battery should be fine in those the department installed, he said.

Daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks are set ahead one hour.