National Fire Prevention Week runs through this Saturday, and one of the most basic, yet most important fire safety items residents can have is a smoke detector. Pella Fire Chief Doug Van Gorkom says it’s important to change the battery on a smoke detector twice a year.

“Generally what we recommend is to remember to change batteries in smoke detector during the time change. When we change our clocks in the fall and again in the spring, that’s a good time to remind ourselves that its time to change batteries, and then there are always fresh ones in [your smoke detector].”