The Fire Safety Officer with the Steinbach Fire Department has a suggestion on how we should use the extra hour we will get this weekend when we turn our clocks back to standard time. Lieutenant Cindy Klassen-Krahn says it only takes about an hour to complete fire safety checks in your home.

"First off, you want to make sure that your smoke alarms are working. If you haven't heard them, test them. If you don't get a sound, it's time for a new battery or a new detector itself. They do have a shelf life of ten years. The hard-wired detectors are also ten years (shelf life) so you want to make sure that they're working."

Klassen-Krahn says we can also use the extra hour this weekend to double-check our fire safety plan and make sure the second way out of our home is not blocked.

"Keep your utility room clean, don't have too much laundry near your hot water tank. As for your dryer, make sure that the lint is cleaned out. And, your furnace, make sure it's working properly and change the filter. Also, make sure you have a working smoke alarm in your laundry room."

And as we head into winter, Klassen-Krahn reminds us to get the right type of extension cord to plug in our vehicles.

"Take your time when purchasing your extension cord for your vehicle. Make sure you get the right cord for the right job. And, don't park your vehicle over top of the extension cord. Extension cords are temporary. You should never have an extension cord connected to an appliance. If you have a fridge or a deep freeze plugged into an extension cord, it's time to call an electrician."