MOULTRIE, Ga. — Spring is still 12 days away, but you can “spring forward” this weekend as the nation changes its clocks to Daylight Saving Time.

Officially, DST begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, but most people will set their clocks ahead one hour on the night before.

The change in time will allow for more daylight hours in the evening by starting the workday earlier relative to the sunrise.

For years, fire officials have urged people to change the batteries in smoke detectors when they change the time on their clocks, both at the beginning and the end of Daylight Saving Time. But technology may eventually eliminate the need for that.

Now on the market are sealed smoke detectors with batteries guaranteed for 10 years, according to Moultrie Fire Department fire inspector Mitchell Williams. When one eventually does start the annoying chirp that lets you know the battery is dying, you can just take it down, throw it away and buy a new one.

“That’s all in an effort to increase safety and awareness,” Williams said. “… You just about cannot buy one with removable batteries any more.”

He said of all the structure fires across the nation in 2017, 60 percent of the houses had a smoke detector — but 30 percent of those smoke detectors didn’t work, often because they didn’t have a working battery in them.

A functioning smoke alarm gives residents an early warning to a potential fire, Williams said. That gives them time to get out and call for help.

A smoke detector should be installed in each bedroom and outside the sleeping area, he said. For example, if three bedrooms branch off a hallway, there should be a detector in each bedroom plus one out in the hallway. They should be installed high on the wall, about 6-8 inches from the ceiling.

“Heat rises and most of the time smoke will go to the ceiling,” he said.

By contrast, a carbon monoxide detector is a good idea for homes that use natural gas, Williams said, but it should be placed near the floor because natural gas is heavier than air.

If anyone needs assistance checking or installing a smoke alarm, call the Moultrie Fire Department at 985-1805.