The fire department wants Forsyth County residents to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms Sunday. With an extra hour of sleep Saturday night, there’s really no reason to be too tired to do it. Daylight-saving time ends as Sunday begins, which is a convenient time to replace alarm batteries, officials with the Forsyth County Fire Department said.“Replacing the batteries in the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms throughout your home twice each year is a simple task that could potentially save lives,” Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers said. “A convenient way to remember to do so is by changing these batteries at the same time as you change the clocks in your home. At an absolute minimum, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries should be changed annually.” The fire department recommended testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month. If the batteries in the alarms are serviceable, they should be changed every six to 12 months. Residents should consult the recommendations of the unit manufacturer regarding battery replacement, a Forsyth County press release said. Units should be replaced every seven to 10 years. Residents should also take heed of the following safety precautions:- Install a smoke alarm on every level of the home- Ensure smoke alarms are clean and free of dust- Call 911 in case of any emergency“It is important to remember that you have no sense of smell when you are asleep, so smoke alarms are your only hope of being alerted to a fire,” Fire Chief Danny Bowman said. “The critical need for working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms throughout every level of a home cannot be stressed enough.” The Public Safety Education Division of the fire department gives senior citizens and residents in need battery-powered smoke alarms for free. For more information about this program, call the Forsyth County Fire Department at (770) 781-2180.