As Daylight Saving Time comes to an end this weekend, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) urges all New Yorkers to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they are functioning properly.

Those in St. Lawrence County and across New York will set their clocks back one hour this weekend for the end of Daylight Savings Time and return to standard time. That will give us more daylight in the morning.

Officially, standard time starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6.

This is also when fire officials remind that this and the switch back next spring are good times to check or change the batteries in the fire, smoke and carbon-monoxide (CO) alarms in one’s house or business.

FASNY urges the public to invest whenever possible in smoke alarms with sealed-in, non-removeable batteries capable of powering the device for at least 10 years. These alarms require much less maintenance than older models with removable batteries, and are virtually impossible to disable. Such alarms stand a better chance of preventing the sort of tragedy that occurred in Spokane.

In 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law requiring all smoke alarms sold in New York State to be equipped with sealed-in, non-removable, 10-year batteries. This law takes effect on January 1, 2017. Regardless of the type of alarm in one’s home, FASNY recommends cleaning all detectors to remove any debris that might impede their function and to test the batteries, changing them if necessary.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three of every five home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. The non-functioning units are often due to a lack of proper maintenance.

"A frequently found situation with older smoke alarms is where someone has ‘borrowed’ a battery from an alarm, rendering the device useless," a news release from FASNY said. "Another common and dangerous action is disabling the battery to eliminate the low-battery chirping noise."

FASNY smoke & CO detector tips:

• Test detectors at least once a month by using the test button.

• Check the batteries every six months, and change the batteries every year (if applicable). If a battery is starting to lose its power, the unit will usually chirp to warn you. Do NOT disable the unit.

• When possible, outfit your home with detectors and alarms equipped with sealed-in, 10-year lithium batteries that last the lifetime of the devices - to provide a decade of 24/7 fire safety protection without the risk of dead or missing batteries.

• Vacuum or blow out any dust that might accumulate in the unit.

• Never borrow a battery from a detector to use somewhere else.

• Never paint a smoke or CO detector.

• Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home, including the basement, in every bedroom and near every sleeping area.

• Smoke detectors should not be installed near a window because drafts could interfere with their operation.

• Smoke detectors should be completely replaced every ten years.

• Families should also develop and practice a home fire escape plan.

For more information on smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other information on fire safety and prevention, visit www.fasny.com and www.nfpa.org.