7 Steps To Improve Fire Safety In Your Home
April 23, 2020
Keeping your family safe from a house
fire requires common sense, planning, preparation, and an understanding of the
main causes of a catastrophic house fire.
While we all have the peace of mind a basic smoke detector system
offers, there is so much more you can do to both reduce your risk of a fire and
equip yourself to respond quickly to a fire to ensure the safety of everyone in
your home.
1)
Make a Home Evacuation Plan
We’ve all heard this one before, but how many of us actually have a plan in place? Making sure everyone is completely aware of the best and safest ways to exit the house in case of a fire can be the difference between life and death. Try to have at least two ways out of every room. Having a designated family meeting place in case of an emergency helps to ensure that your family members can be accounted for quickly.
We’ve all heard this one before, but how many of us actually have a plan in place? Making sure everyone is completely aware of the best and safest ways to exit the house in case of a fire can be the difference between life and death. Try to have at least two ways out of every room. Having a designated family meeting place in case of an emergency helps to ensure that your family members can be accounted for quickly.
2)
Follow This Simple Preparedness Checklist
:
Of course, you should always follow manufacturer guidelines for safe use and maintenance practices for all equipment, but these are some especially important examples.
Of course, you should always follow manufacturer guidelines for safe use and maintenance practices for all equipment, but these are some especially important examples.
▢ Test all Fire alarms monthly,
replacing any dead batteries.
Make sure
that you replace your fire alarms every ten years, to reduce the risk of
equipment failure.
▢ Check monthly that your fire extinguishers don't need service or replacement.
▢ Update and review your Evacuation Plan with all household members twice a year.
▢ Always clean your dryer’s lint trap before using it and clean out its exhaust system at least annually, more often if you’re using the dryer more than 4 times a week.
▢ Check monthly that your fire extinguishers don't need service or replacement.
▢ Update and review your Evacuation Plan with all household members twice a year.
▢ Always clean your dryer’s lint trap before using it and clean out its exhaust system at least annually, more often if you’re using the dryer more than 4 times a week.
3)
Remodeling or Building Your
Home Soon
?
Look into installing a sprinkler system for the most vulnerable rooms in your home, such as your kitchen, workshop, garage, and any rooms that contain a furnace or fireplace. These can dramatically reduce the damage caused by a fire.
Even if a Sprinkler system isn’t right for you, reconstruction is a great time to assess your needs for appropriate fire extinguishers, new hard-wired alarms, and any other prevention and mitigation equipment you may need.
Look into installing a sprinkler system for the most vulnerable rooms in your home, such as your kitchen, workshop, garage, and any rooms that contain a furnace or fireplace. These can dramatically reduce the damage caused by a fire.
Even if a Sprinkler system isn’t right for you, reconstruction is a great time to assess your needs for appropriate fire extinguishers, new hard-wired alarms, and any other prevention and mitigation equipment you may need.
4)
Be Vigilant
Be sure that you visually inspect and deal with likely causes of fire at least once a year, call in a professional for assistance as needed. Here is an example checklist of major fire risks.
Be sure that you visually inspect and deal with likely causes of fire at least once a year, call in a professional for assistance as needed. Here is an example checklist of major fire risks.
▢ Grease
:
Beware build up in your kitchen (for example, under your burners or behind your
stove).
▢ Radiators : Cobwebs and dust must be cleaned out following manufacturer guidelines every Autumn before starting up your furnace for the first time. Inspect the radiators for any damage or signs of failure when cleaning them.
▢ Furnace : Check for rust, cleanliness, and any signs of a potential leak or other problem.
▢ Chimney : Follow the recommendations of your furnace or wood stove manufacturer, but generally your chimney should be inspected and cleaned by a professional every year depending on the type and quantity of fuel you burn during winter.
▢ Wiring : Try to always keep an eye out for fraying or bare patches on the power cords on your appliances and any wires visible in an unfinished basement or other room. Electrical fires are a serious danger.
▢ Radiators : Cobwebs and dust must be cleaned out following manufacturer guidelines every Autumn before starting up your furnace for the first time. Inspect the radiators for any damage or signs of failure when cleaning them.
▢ Furnace : Check for rust, cleanliness, and any signs of a potential leak or other problem.
▢ Chimney : Follow the recommendations of your furnace or wood stove manufacturer, but generally your chimney should be inspected and cleaned by a professional every year depending on the type and quantity of fuel you burn during winter.
▢ Wiring : Try to always keep an eye out for fraying or bare patches on the power cords on your appliances and any wires visible in an unfinished basement or other room. Electrical fires are a serious danger.
5)
Always Keep Heaters Safe
Make certain that radiators, baseboard heaters, and space heaters are at least three feet away from any easily flammable object such as upholstered furniture. Avoid leaving heaters on when there is no one home to monitor them. Take a look at this article for more general information about how to keep your radiator use safe.
Make certain that radiators, baseboard heaters, and space heaters are at least three feet away from any easily flammable object such as upholstered furniture. Avoid leaving heaters on when there is no one home to monitor them. Take a look at this article for more general information about how to keep your radiator use safe.
6)
Protect Your Children
Keep matches, candles, lighters, and accelerants well out of the easy reach of children, ideally lock these up or childproof their containers. Teach your children to respect fire and not play with it.
Keep matches, candles, lighters, and accelerants well out of the easy reach of children, ideally lock these up or childproof their containers. Teach your children to respect fire and not play with it.
7)
Consider a Monitored
Fire Alarm System
Even if you do everything right and have all the prevention and mitigation available, there is still a risk of fire. Your best choice to reduce the consequences if a fire occurs despite your best efforts is to have a monitored Fire Alarm system. Most security systems also contain devices for the detection of fire conditions.
Even if you do everything right and have all the prevention and mitigation available, there is still a risk of fire. Your best choice to reduce the consequences if a fire occurs despite your best efforts is to have a monitored Fire Alarm system. Most security systems also contain devices for the detection of fire conditions.
Here at On Pointe Security Systems, we
pride ourselves on doing everything we can to help you keep your business,
home, and family safe.
Call us today at
207-509-3531 to schedule a free estimate.