Precautions for fire safety involve more than just securing your residence from flammable items and open flames. There are many things to do when improving fire safety in your home. Preventing a fire does not only mean paying attention to the house’s structure and objects. The involvement of your whole family is also necessary.
Discuss Fire Safety with Family Members
Everyone in the family must recognize how important fire safety is. It should not be treated as a joke or as a laughing matter. After all, fire can consume your whole residence when it breaks out. This disaster claims belongings, financial wealth, and even lives. Teach the value of fire safety to younger family members so they will grow up with it in mind.
From time to time, arrange a short meeting with family members to discuss fire prevention strategies. They might offer ideas, suggestions, and concerns. The meeting may tackle extra safety equipment and spending as well.
Scatter Smoke Alarms Throughout the Home
A smoke alarm would be effective in keeping your family safe from fire and its dangers. However, one smoke alarm for your whole house is not enough. Consider that smoke does not arouse you from sleep. It generally causes you to sleep even more and not wake up. Try to equip every room in your home with this device if you have sufficient finances. Otherwise, you may save money for buying smoke alarms one at a time.
Check the Effectiveness of Smoke Alarms
Equipping your home with smoke alarms also means that you should routinely check whether they are working or not. Do this by placing incense, a lit candle, or a burning cigarette directly under the devices. They should make noise if functioning properly. If a smoke alarm does not work, it may need new batteries or a non-faulty replacement. Once in a month should be enough time for testing the effectiveness of your smoke alarms.
Get a Fire Extinguisher
Fire extinguishers always show up on offices, schools, and other public places. If you have a dedication for fire safety, consider getting one for your home too. Always buy a fire extinguisher from a certified dealer and look for a product without any defect. When bringing it to your house, place this piece of equipment near a door. The fire extinguisher must be seen easily but also elevated so children would not play with it. Do not place it on a spot at high risk of a fire.
Installing a CCTV
There are many benefits of using a CCTV security system. Some are obvious, others less so. In our experience our clients report a number of immediate and tangible benefits after having a CCTV system installed.
Remote monitoring – keep an eye on your home or business when you aren’t there. All our CCTV systems can be viewed and controlled remotely over the internet (via an iPhone, laptop etc). In addition to this, AIS can provide an independent 24/7 monitoring service.
Receive warnings in advance – CCTV systems can alert you of any suspicious activity (via text or email), enabling you to view what’s happening and if necessary notify the police BEFORE a fire has been committed.
Conduct Fire Drills Routinely
Asking the whole family to do a fire drill every month may sound out of the usual but this is a life-saver. Everyone in the family must know what to do in case a fire spreads out of control. Come up with ways of evacuating the rooms and the whole house. For instance, the windows can serve as improvised exits during an emergency. Ladders may have to be installed for a two-story house.
Before initiating a fire drill, also brief the family members about the most important valuables to be taken along. Legal papers, IDs, and bank cards should always be the top priority. Remind your family not to run back and salvage stuff when the house is already burning. All of the plans should come together during the fire drill. Execute them as fast as you can, improving the pace in later drills if necessary.
Everyone in the family must agree with the precautions regarding fire safety. Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers would be more than reliable. Routine fire drills ensure that your plans are organized and effective. When the real deal comes, your family can either put the flames out before they spread or escape to safety when the fire is out of control.
