As the head of your household it can be difficult to keep track of all of your responsibilities. From cashing a paycheck to getting the kids out of the bed in the morning, the sheer amount of obligations you have can be enough to stress any sane person out. And while some tasks are more important than others, you don’t want to forget about the importance of fire safety. It’s not something you think about all of the time, but you certainly don’t want to forget about it completely. The effects can be disastrous.
1. Everyone Needs to be Prepared
Fire safety isn’t just your responsibility. Everyone in your family, from toddlers to teenagers, needs to be prepared. Having intentional conversations and detailed plans will help you feel safer should your family ever have to deal with such a catastrophic event. Make sure everyone knows exactly what their role is and have older siblings look out for younger ones.
2. Place Smoke Detectors in Every Bedroom
Did you know that there are more than 362,000 home fires and approximately 3,000 home fire deaths per year in the United States? While many of these fires are unavoidable, you can decrease the likelihood of becoming a statistic this year by installing smoke detectors in all of the bedrooms in your home. This ensures everyone is alerted in the event that a fire occurs at nighttime.
3. There are Five Major Threats
Did you know that there are five major home fire threats? They are cooking, heating, smoking, electrical, and candles. While other causes do exist, these are the five most common threats. If you remain conscious of these and do your best to prevent fires related to cooking, heating, smoking, electrical, and candles, you’ll greatly diminish your risk.
4. Have a Plan for Pets
One thing that people don’t often think about in terms of fire safety is their pets. This is unfortunate, as 40,000 pets die each year in house fires. Furthermore, pets start 1,000 fires each year. If you don’t pay attention, you could become a part of this statistic. In order to be prepared for an emergency, you should place a “Pet Alert” sticker on front-facing windows and ensure proper identification is always kept on collars.
5. Pay Attention to Hidden Risks
While we touched on the five most common home fire risks, it would be wrong to assume that these are the only causes. Every few months, you should check on hidden risks to ensure your home is safe. These hidden risks include things like fuse boxes, outlets, dryer vents, and more. You should also clean up your yard, as piles of brush and leaves up against the home can increase the risk of a fire.
Don’t Take Fire Safety Lightly
Fire safety isn’t an issue that you can afford to take lightly. One slight misstep or oversight can cost you dearly. By keeping these tips in mind, you can increase your chances of protecting your family and staying safe.