Protecting you family from the dangers of fire means taking measures to prevent fires as well as preparing your family with training and safety equipment that will help them escape with their lives.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 1.2 million home fires claim the lives of more than 3,000 civilians in the U.S., along with 15,000+ injuries, and more than $10 billion in property damage. That means someone in the U.S. dies of fire about every 3 hours!
What Precautions Are You Taking To Protect Your Family?
Every family needs to sit down together and decide what precautions need to be taken to protect themselves from the dangers of fire. To get the ball rolling, we’ve listed out 12 simple tips to consider adding to your fire safety plan.
Our Top 12 Fire Safety Tips
1 Identify Fire Hazards in the Home – Have an electrician check for electrical problems, leaks, or other issues that might result in a fire.
2 Get Rid of Electric Space Heaters or Propane Heaters – Space heaters can be deadly and cause 30% of home fires!
3 Keep Matches Out of Reach Of Children – This one should be a no-brainer! Keep lighters and matches away from children and teach them never to use the stove or toaster without direct adult supervision.
4 Avoid Smoking – If you can find a way to quit, please do it. Cigarettes are the leading cause of home fire fatalities in the U.S.
5 Install Smoke Alarms on Every Floor – 3 in 5 fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors.
6 Purchase Fire Extinguishers – Although they take a bit of practice, fire extinguishers are a great tool for putting out fires when used correctly.
7 Install Fire Escapes – If you have a particularly large home, it might be necessary to add a few escape ladders in 2nd or 3rd story bedrooms. Careful, because these can be just as dangerous as the fire itself and should only be used as a last resort.
8 Schedule Fire Safety Equipment Checks – At least once a season, if not once a month, test all of your fire safety equipment. Just a quick check to make sure fire extinguishers are still pressurized and all smoke detectors have batteries (warning signals in battery smoke detectors last about two days, but could have gone off while you were on vacation).
9 Monitored Fire Alarm – The earlier rescue personal arrive, the better. Having a monitored fire alarm could mean the difference between life and death, and it might mean your house and pets being saved in the event no one is home.
10 Fire Safety Training – Training children is critical to protecting your family from fire. If you’re having a hard time grabbing your child’s interest, let Sparky the Fire Safety Dog lend a hand!
11 Create a Fire Escape Plan – Draw up a fire escape plan and be sure your child is able to walk you through the plan from start to finish.
12 Practice Fire Safety – Practice makes perfect. Stop, drop and roll, the escape plan, locations of fire safety equipment and anything else that’s important to your family’s protection against fire should be practiced regularly.
Your Family’s Safety Is In Your Hands
Protecting your family from fire starts with you. There’s no time like the present to create your unique fire safety plans and get the equipment needed to detect and alert your family to potential fires.
Want more information about protecting your family from fire dangers? Our fire alarm experts are happy to help and provide a free estimate on a monitored fire alarm system. Contact St. Louis’s security and safety experts online or at 636.324.2002 today.
