Every family in the Atlanta area has to ensure their home is free of fire hazards. From October 8 to 14, Fire Prevention Week takes place to fill that purpose. It is an annual event was begun to draw attention to fire safety after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This year’s theme is “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” and the lesson is important for every family looking to increase the level of safety at home. Here's this year key messages:
- Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
- Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
- Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
- Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
- Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
- Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.
For further safety, don't forget to think about other miscellaneous things around your home as well such as:
- No cooking in the kitchen without grownups. This practice should always be in place at your home. Even though children are more independent than ever, there are too many risks from cooking on a stove. A young person’s mind can wander, or they can be distracted by a phone or tablet while cooking. Keep a close eye on children in the kitchen to avoid accidents.
- Test smoke alarms. You’ll know when a smoke alarm is running low on battery power when a blinking light appears. Regularly test alarms to make sure they are ready to respond. Connecting the smoke alarm to a home security system is the best policy; an alert will go off when alarms no longer respond to the security system’s main console.
- Keep a fire extinguisher close to the kitchen. Since so many fires start in the kitchen, fire extinguishers should be kept within arm’s reach of the stove. Between the microwave, gas burners, and (especially) electric burners, there are so many places for fires to start.
- Plug appliances directly into the wall. Extension cords are a fire hazard in and of themselves. Plug all appliances into the wall directly to avoid this risk. If there is no convenient place for an outlet, contact an electrician to add outlets to accommodate the appliances in your kitchen.
- Ensure all cords are in good condition. Frayed cords spell trouble. Remove any device once the cord starts wearing down. Electricians can tell you whether cords can be replaced or if you need to purchase a new appliance.
- Remove cords from high-traffic areas. It’s common for families to cover cords with rugs to improve a room’s appearance, but this practice can cause fires when people step on them and damage the cord. Ask an electrician to add an outlet so cords don’t have to cross high-traffic areas.
- Purchase appliances from nationally recognized laboratories. Fire risks may begin before you take an appliance home. Check to see the product you are buying has been certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. Fire tests cannot be ignored in appliances you purchase.
- Call a qualified electrician to inspect any problem areas. When you have doubts about the safety of cords or the viability of an outlet in your home, contact an expert electrician to take a look. Fire Prevention Week is the perfect time to do it.
Reliable Home & Air is on call to make fire prevention your top priority. Contact the expert technicians on duty to make your home safer in one quick visit.
