Community Corner

Daylight Saving Time Begins on March 11

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency suggests checking smoke alarms and emergency preparedness kits when you change your clock one hour ahead.

Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, meaning you need to set your clock ahead one hour before you go to sleep.

"The extra hour of daylight in the evening is said to give children more social time with friends and family and can even boost the tourism industry because it increases the amount of outdoor activities," according to timeanddate.com.

While adjusting those clocks, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Georgia campaign is asking residents to also do an emergency preparedness check.

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  • Test your smoke alarms to make sure they’re working, and replace the batteries if they’re more than a year old.
  • Take a look at your Ready kit:
    • Check expiration dates on your food, water and medications. Use foods before they go bad, and replace them with fresh supplies.
    • Check your equipment. Is your battery-powered radio working? When was the last time you replaced the batteries in your flashlight and your NOAA weather radio? Follow the same rule of thumb as you do for your smoke alarm – replace the batteries at least once a year.
    • Re-think your needs. Is someone in the family on medication now that they weren’t taking a year ago? Have you added a family member or a pet? Take these and other lifestyle changes into account, and update your kit as needed.
  • Once you’ve taken a few minutes to refresh your Ready kit, make sure you take a quick look at your family emergency plan too. Log on to your personal profile on the Ready Georgia website, or use the Ready Georgia mobile app. Update medical information, phone numbers and any other details that may have changed during the past year. Then make sure your family knows where you will go and how you will get in touch with another in case of an emergency.


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