It is often said that cliches are cliches for good reasons. They are often well founded in truth. Every single year, a number of people across the globe force some fire department somewhere to exercise a sad cliche. One such as "It seems the victims in this fire did not hear the smoke alarm or it was not working properly."

A smoke alarm can malfunction or be defective. It can inadvertently be damaged and left unrepaired or replaced. It can be disabled. It could unwisely be lacking altogether from a home in the first place. For a number of reasons, you could burn to death in a fire while you sleep unalerted by a smoke alarm.

For all the many reasons, there is usually a very common single theme. That theme, generally stems from laziness. YOU WERE TOO LAZY DURING THE COURSE OF A YEAR TO SIMPLY:

• Change the batteries in your smoke alarms twice and reach up and press the test button once a month.

That's it for your part of the bargin. Make sure the batteries are good and that you hear the ear splitting sound when the test button is pushed. Other than ignorance or brain damage, there is no other excuse except laziness for not doing something you have complete control over to help avoid a catastrophe.

You don't have much control over the quality assurance program at the smoke alarm factory. Accidents do happen. You could have painted the hallway and neglected to reinstall it or uncover it. Don't increase your odds of an early demise in a fire by being lazy. Laziness about changing the batteries in your smoke alarms and regularly testing them can cost you dearly.

A smoke alarm in good working order with good batteries will very likely do it's duty when needed. One good way to take care of changing the batteries is to change them when you adjust your clocks for daylight savings in the spring and fall. As for testing monthly, make a little ritual when paying your bills. When you sit down to write checks out "ring the smoke alarm bells" announcing the fact.