October is national fire prevention month, and with fall temps comes multiple opportunities to get your furnace, fireplace, and other heating systems up and running. However, heating systems are just one of many items that can cause a house fire. In fact, cooking causes 50 percent of residential house fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). That’s why WH Security would like to remind you that this month is a great time to go over some fire safety procedures with your family.
When it comes to fire safety, some of the first, and easiest, things to check are your smoke detectors. Make sure they are working properly by testing the alarm. Check and replace the batteries if needed. If the batteries have leaked and damaged your smoke detector, replace it immediately. Also, through WH Security, you can add monitored smoke detectors to your security system with no additional monthly monitoring charges!
Now that you’ve determined the smoke detectors are working, go through a family evacuation plan in case an emergency was to occur. I recently went through this plan with my family and, with young children you need to be careful to educate and inform but not overwhelm. My children’s rooms are in the basement, so we made it simple by saying that if you hear this noise – I sounded the smoke alarm to give them an idea of how it sounds and how loud it is – you must exit the house through the sliding door. Once outside, we will all meet at the large tree in the front yard. This sounds simple, but that was exactly what we were after.
Here are some other fire safety tips:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking. If you must leave, turn off the stove.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn, and never leave them on when you are away or sleeping.
- Ask smokers to smoke outside, or have them use a sturdy, deep ashtray.
- Keep matches and lighters up high out of reach of children.
- Inspect and replace any electrical cords that are damaged.
- Keep candles at least one foot from anything that can burn.
- Test your smoke detectors regularly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our knowledgeable WH Security staff at (763) 477-3664. We are here for you and really appreciate your business!
