Kiwis will want to make sure they put their clocks forward an hour before bed tonight, as daylight savings kicks in overnight.
Daylight savings means clocks go forward by one hour at 2am.
It starts each year on the last Sunday in September, and ends at 3am on the first Sunday in April.
The event is also important to Fire and Emergency New Zealand, who use it as a reminder for Kiwis to clean and check their smoke alarms while they’re changing clocks, as well as having a three-step escape plan in place.
Tom Ronaldson, community education and behaviour change manager, said “just push the button on each of your smoke alarms. If you hear the beep, you know they are ready to protect you and your household”.
“A fire can be fatal within three minutes and when you are sleeping you can’t smell smoke. Working smoke alarms are the most important way to prepare for the possibility of a fire.
“Having working smoke alarms in every bedroom, living area and hallway to alert all members of the household as early as possible, is the critical first step in escaping a house on fire.
“Fire and Emergency recommends long-life interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms where possible. If a fire is detected in one room of the house, interconnected alarms will trigger all the alarms in your home, so everyone will be alerted to a fire sooner.
“Lastly, now is the perfect time to give your smoke alarms a spring clean. You can do this by giving them a quick vacuum or dust.”
Ronaldson said an escape plane should include two clear paths out of each area, and a safe meeting place away from the house.
