Once you realize your home is on fire, you don’t have much time to get out of there. In just moments, your home will be engulfed and anything left in there will be lost; that includes anybody as well. Each year, around 3,000 people die in house fires in the United States. Almost half of these deaths are in homes that don’t have a working smoke alarm. Smoke alarm safety should be at the top of your list when it comes to fire safety. This safety feature is very close to our owner’s heart as he is a firefighter and sees first hand the devastation fires can cause. While he can detect many fire hazards during his inspections, another easy way a home fire can be avoided or at least minimized, is by a sufficient number of working smoke alarms on the premises. Lifeline Home Inspections is here to share some smoke alarm safety tips that could end up saving your life or the life of someone close to you.
Sufficient Quantity & Proper Placement of Smoke Alarms
Many homes, especially older homes, don’t have as many smoke alarms as they need. If there aren’t any smoke alarms in your home, you need to get them … today! If you live in a large house, it is going to take more than one smoke alarm to keep yourself safe in the case of a house fire. You need to have a smoke alarm in each sleeping room of your home as well as a smoke alarm on each level of your house. Smoke alarms should be located on the ceiling or high on the wall. A common mistake made with smoke alarms happens during cooking. You should never deactivate them when you are cooking. It is highly likely that they will never be turned back on and rendered useless in a fire. For this reason, smoke alarms should be mounted away from the kitchen to avoid false alarms sounding.
Test Smoke Alarm Buttons Frequently
Over time, dust gathers inside the smoke detector which desensitizes the sensors. There is a test function found on most smoke alarms and you should check your smoke alarms every month to ensure they are working properly. If you notice a distinctive chirp even after you have replaced the batteries or if the smoke alarm doesn’t sound when you perform the recommended test; it is time to change the smoke alarms out. It’s also a great idea to plan on changing the batteries every time you change your clocks. This will keep your batteries fresh and ready to alert you if a fire happens.
Emergency Evacuation Plan
You and those you love should gather together and come up with an evacuation plan in case there is ever a fire. Make both exits out of every room clear and agree on a meeting place outside the house if an evacuation is ever necessary. If there are any infants for others that don’t have the ability to get out on their own, a family member should be designated to get them out. Once outside, stay outside. You would be surprised at how many people head back into the fire after they have escaped to safety. It is important that you move quickly; as soon as you hear the sound of the alarms. Most people who are killed in a house fire are killed from smoke inhalation rather than burns. Get out quickly and stay out.
Professional Home, Light Commercial Property Inspections & More in Fulton, Spalding, Coweta, Douglas, Pike, Upson & Fayette County, GA
At Lifeline Home Inspections, we provide buyers and sellers real estate home inspections as well as preventive maintenance home inspections to ensure your home is as safe as possible. Call us today to schedule your home inspection!
