October is Fire Safety Month, making it the perfect time to review your home’s emergency preparedness. While we hope to never face an emergency, taking a few preventative steps today can make all the difference in your family’s safety and protection. Here is a simple, actionable checklist to ensure your home is fully equipped and ready in an emergency.
1. Test Smoke Detectors:
Smoke detectors are your first defense by giving you an early warning to fires, but if the batteries are dead or the unit is defective then they serve no purpose. Walk through your home and test every smoke detector by pressing the alert button. Make it a habit to replace old batteries annually, for an easy reminder, mark it on your calendar for next year. Most smoke detectors have a life span of around 10 years, so replace them when appropriate.
2. Plan An Evacuation Route:
Plan and practice an evacuation route, discuss the plan with your family to avoid panicking during an emergency. Every room should have two clear exit paths, but two-story homes present a different challenge if stairways are blocked. A reliable option for upper level rooms is an escape ladder, like our 2-Story Fire Escape Ladder.
3. Stop Small Fires Fast:
Fires develop fast, placing fire protection in high risk areas such as the laundry room, garage, and kitchen helps stop fires before they become a larger issue. Just as important is keeping the protection easily accessible. Our Fire Gone Fire Extinguisher is easily stored in cabinets, drawers or on shelves.
Identifying the type of fire and keeping the correct extinguisher on hand is important. If a grease fire occurs never throw water onto it, as the water causes burning grease or oil to splatter and spread rapidly. These fires need to be smothered, which can be done by using a towel or a fire blanket, like the Fire Guardian Emergency Fire Blanket.
We've paired these fire safety products together in our Homeowner’s Fire Safety Kit that includes a Fire Guardian Emergency Fire Blanket and 3 Fire Gone Fire Extinguishers.
4. Lithium-Ion Battery Fires:
Cordless convenience and Lithium batteries have changed the way we live, from smartphones, lawn mowers, laptops, e-bikes and more. If compromised these batteries can suffer thermal runaway, burning intensely hot and resisting standard fire extinguisher agents. Keep a specialized Lithium-Ion Fire Suppressant Spray on hand where you charge and store devices.
5. Additional Fire Safety:
Be sure to clean the dryer vent in your laundry room at least once a year. Check out our blog The Why and How to Clean Dryer Vents.
