City of Gaffney firefighters are reminding residents to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks for Daylight Saving Time. Firefighters are shown here placing a banner with this safety message outside the city's Overbrook Fire Station. (Ledger photo / TIM GULLA) It’s an easy rule to remember and a bad one to forget.

When you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, firefighters say you should always replace the batteries in your home’s smoke detectors to make sure they’ll operate when needed the most.

To help remind residents of this simple rule, the Gaffney Fire Department placed banners outside the fire stations this week. And firefighters say they’re willing to go an extra step to help people follow this rule.

Thanks to a donation from the maker of Energizer batteries, the Gaffney Fire Department received a shipment of 140, 9-volt, batteries in case area families need a little assistance.

Fire Training Officer Scott Coleman said the fire department won’t simply distribute the batteries but will actually go to homes to install them. The program is aimed at lower income families and senior citizens who live in the greater Gaffney fire district covered by the three city fire stations (headquarters, East Gaffney and Overbrook).

To schedule an appointment, call the Gaffney Fire Department between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 487-8516.

The battery program is an extension of a recent safety program through which the Gaffney Fire Department has been installing smoke detectors in area homes. The city received a grant for 99 smoke detectors and roughly 80 of them had been installed as of earlier this week while there were six more homes on the waiting list.

“It’s been going very well,” Coleman said of the free smoke detector program. “We’ve been getting a positive response.”

Coleman said firefighters particularly have been pleased that several area residents who accepted the fire department’s offer of a free smoke detector had no fire detection equipment whatsoever.

He’s hoping for a positive response to the free battery program, as well.

“Since we can’t prevent all fires we want to give everyone the best chance to escape (a fire),” Coleman said.

In addition to routinely changing the batteries and testing smoke detectors, residents are advised that smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years as an extra safety measure.

Clocks, by the way, should “fall back” one hour on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m.