On the heels of New York City's deadliest fire this century, Long Island fire officials reminded residents that taking preventive measures is vital to their safety.

Nine people died in a Bronx fire Wednesday night that started with a space heater in the basement. Two smoke detectors lacked batteries, and Long Island fire officials report it is a common problem.

As Kenneth Johnson of the Syosset Fire Department said, "ninety percent of the homes throughout the country have smoke detectors. The unfortunate thing is that of 90, about half of them don't work properly."

Johnson recommended changing the batteries and testing smoke detectors roughly every six months. With daylight savings time coming up on Saturday night, Johnson said now is the perfect time to get on that twice-a-year schedule.