Life is unpredictable and unfortunately we have no idea what tomorrow can bring. Now is the time to make sure that you and your family are prepared for anything and everything that could potentially happen. Of course, don’t go overboard but knowing basic fire tips for that could occur in your home is key. Is it really that important you might ask? It couldn’t happen to me! You’re wrong.
Image: Alpha Fire & Security System
For one thing, fire doesn’t care about what type of house you live in, how much money you make at your job or what kind of car you drive. Fire has a way of making you pay the price, or someone else, for either your stupidity or complacent. There are not many second chances when it comes to a house fire but one of the most important things to consider is that it’s not the fire that is a danger to us, but it’s the smoke and toxic by product that is the most dangerous.
So what matters should you take when it comes to learning and keeping your loved ones as safe as you can? The first thing you can do is make sure that you are aware of all the security and plans that you have in place for you and family to get out of your home. Below are a few important safety and fire safety items you should be aware of so you know what to do incase something happens.
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- The Proper Equipment– When it comes to fire safety, you can never be too cautious to have the proper equipment within your home. First and foremost you’ll want to install a smoke detector. The most important rule on this is to keep checking the batteries every six months. Did you know that two thirds of fire deaths occur within the home with either no working smoke alarm or no alarm period. In some cases, these deaths are the results of an alarm not working properly because of not having a battery installed or a dead battery. That’s huge!
- Location – Make sure that once you have your alarms installed that they are in the proper location. This means that every bedroom and outside every sleeping area has one. It’s one thing to have on your top floor and your main floor but don’t forget to have to one in the basement as well.
- Think Of Every Member – Do you have a family member who sleeps extremely heavy? What about a child who is super sensitive to noise? Make sure to keep this in mind when practicing a fire drill or when the alarm goes off. This will help you prepare on if it should really occur, what precautions you need to take ahead of time.
- Ladders – If you have a home with window wells or anything higher than just a single story, you’ll want to make sure that you have a fire escape ladder in your home. There are basic ladders that are about 5 feet tall which can hook over the well. Have one for each room of a basement. One of the most important features to look at when looking for ladders are the ‘standoffs’ which are the small protrusions that hold teh ladder rungs away from the house. The more you have the better. Make sure the load is tested for at least 1,000 pounds too. Store them next to the windows to make sure you are able to grab them in time.
- Fire Extinguisher – Having a fire extinguisher in your home and knowing how to use them are a crucial part in your home emergency plan. It can be tempting to use it for any fire however you should be aware that it really should only be used to fires that are small and contained like a stovetop fire. The one priority is still the safety of everyone in the home so if a room begins to fill with smoke, get out of the house instead of attempting to put it out yourself.
- Fire Alarm Services– Did you know that not every fire alarm system si designed the same and when it comes to safety, there really is no one size fits all. To make sure that your fire alarm system is installed correctly, you’ll want to make sure that it’s working properly too. My advice would be to hire a professional to do so and if you live in the New Jersey area one company to call is Alpha Fire & Security Systems. The company specializes in all fire alarm repair services so if you have any trouble condition on your fire panel or having any false alarms, they can return your panel to normal within minutes. NJ Fire Alarm Service provides your fire alarm system with the capability to get an alert signal to their central station to dispatch the fire department immediately no matter if your home is occupied or not. Their equipment are non proprietary which means that for the customers you won’t be tied to one fire system. The service calls are not costly, you have the freedom to choose your service provider and it’s a lower cost for equipment.If you’re in the market to get a new home or just thinking about the upcoming year on what you can do to keep your family safe, make sure you really take a look at these steps and tips to help you. Hopefully you won’t have to use these important things but it’s so good and important to know to help your family, loved ones and most importantly, yourself if a fire were to happen within your home.
