4 Steps To A Safer Home


  4 Steps To A Safer Home
  Step 1: Install smoke alarms in every room
  According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in one out of five homes that have smoke alarms, none of the units work, mainly due to dead, missing or disconnected batteries. Properly installed and maintained, smoke alarms are one of the best and least expensive ways to provide an early warning when a fire begins. Smoke alarms save lives, prevent injuries and minimize property damage by alerting residents to a fire hazard.
 
• Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home, in hallways, inside bedrooms and outside of sleeping areas.
• Make sure everyone knows what the smoke alarm sounds like.
• Test your smoke alarms frequently and change the batteries as needed.
• Replace your smoke alarms every 10 years.
  Click Here to download a fire safety checklist.
 
  Step 2: Install CO alarms in each floor and sleeping areas
  Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CO poisoning causes more than 400 deaths and 20,000 emergency department visits in the U.S. annually. Carbon monoxide is often called the “silent killer” because it is odorless, colorless and tasteless. The only safe way to detect it in your home is with a working carbon monoxide alarm.
 
• Place at least one alarm or AC powered unit with battery backup on each level of your home and near sleeping areas.
• Make sure CO alarms are at least 15 feet away from cooking or heating appliances to prevent false alarms.
• Test carbon monoxide alarms frequently and change the batteries as needed.
• Replace CO alarms every 7 years to benefit from the latest technology upgrades.
• Have a licensed professional inspect the heating systems and other fuel burning appliances in your home annually.
  Click Here to download a CO safety checklist.
 
  Step 3: Keep a fire extinguisher within reach
  Place fire extinguishers within easy reach in rooms where fires are more likely to start such as the kitchen, living room and laundry room. Place a fire extinguisher in
the bedroom for use in case you need to create a path to safety. Nearly half of all fatal fires occur during late night and early morning hours when families are asleep.
  Step 4: Develop and practice an escape plan
  Practice two ways out of every room to mimic the most difficult fire situation you might encounter. Be sure to practice your escape plan during the day and at night.
Assign an adult to wake and assist each child in the house. Also consider lending extra help to family members who are physically challenged or elderly.
Identify a meeting place outside the home.