Fire safety
Each year there are more than 350,000 home fires in the United States, leading to $7.2 billion in direct damage. While losing a home is devastating, the impact of loss of life and injuries is even more so. Let’s go through some tips on how to keep your family safe in case of fire.
SAFETY FIRST
One of the best tools in your safety kit should be having working fire extinguishers in your home. You need one on each story, and also in your kitchen and garage or workshop. Your extinguisher should be visible and easily accessible because time is of the essence if you need to put a fire out. While there are many different kinds, the most commonly used in homes is one labeled for ABC-type fires. A fire extinguisher can be picked up at your local hardware store starting around $30.
You should check your fire extinguisher once a month to make sure that it’s operable. To do so, make sure that the fire extinguisher is easily accessible, that the extinguisher is still full by picking it up or weighing it, and ensure the pressure gauge is in the correct range. Lastly, double-check the expiration date of your fire extinguisher and replace it if expired or expiring soon.
MAKE AN EXIT
While a fire extinguisher is an invaluable safety tool to have on hand, sometimes a fire spreads too quickly to put it out and your family needs to exit your home to safety. The best way to ensure that this happens is to make a plan and practice it so that you’re ready in case a disaster strikes.
To make your fire safety plan, draw a map of your home. Visit each room and identify two ways to get out of each space and indicate those pathways on your map. Make sure that your exits are easily accessible. Are windows easy to open? If on an upper floor, do you have safety ladders?
Now that you have a plan on how to get out, you need to practice with your family. If there are children in your home, show them what a smoke detector sounds like. Practice exiting your home from bedrooms and other common areas and meet in a designated spot. If you have young children, family members with mobility challenges, or pets, make a plan on how to help them exit safely.
Now that you've practiced your family’s fire safety exit plan several times during the day, let everyone know that you are going to do a drill at night while they are sleeping so they are not overly alarmed. Turn on the fire alarms in your home to make sure that all family members wake up and practice exiting while everyone is groggy.
We know that it’s stressful thinking about disasters like home fires, but taking small actionable steps each week helps keep your family safe. Good job staying on top of these tasks!
We wanted to help you revisit other fire safety tasks in case you weren’t able to tackle these 5 Minute Friday tasks the week that they popped up on your phone. As always, we’re here to help if you need it!
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