Spots Fire Safety Tips

If you would know how many fires occur in homes each year, you would be shocked at the staggering number. Around 500,000 home fires happen annually and this can lead you to thinking that a fire is not far from happening to your home after all. This is why, it is of utmost importance for homeowners to improve fire safety in their home so they never get to experience a tragic ordeal like a fire accident. Here are some practical fire safety tips to keep in mind.

Install fire safety devices

First, you need to install smoke detectors in every level of the house. For bigger spaces, you may need to install in at least every bedroom and area in the floor. Be sure to get smoke detectors that are hardwired by a battery backup system.

Aside from the extinguishers, you also need to get reliable fire extinguishers. For most homes, the ideal to use is powder, CO2, and wet chemical. Powder is for all around use as this can tackle most types of fires like those that involve solid organic materials (wood, paper, clothing), flammable liquids, and flammable gases.

CO2 is necessary for electrical fires while wet chemical is designed to put out kitchen fires that originate from cooking oils, grease, and deep fat fryers. It would also be great to have handy fire blankets in your home. Make it a habit to check the detectors and extinguishers regularly to see if they are in good working condition.

Create a fire emergency plan

Devise an evacuation plan with the whole family. Make a sketch of the house and indicate all the possible escape routes for all spots. Fire safety tips indicate that every area should have at least two escape routes in case one is blocked. Have fire ladders if your home has a second floor. Practice using this emergency plan by conducting fire drills at least once a month. Do not forget to have an emergency kit prepared.

Prevent fire and minimize fire hazards

• Do not plug multiple appliances in the same electrical socket or circuit.
• Minimize use of extension cords. Never run them under carpets or rugs.
• If any electrical appliance smokes, smells strangely, or stops working suddenly, unplug immediately and bring to the repair center before using again.
• Never leave cooking unattended. Turn off the stove if you need to leave the kitchen area even for a few minutes only. It only takes a few seconds for grease or cooking oil fires to occur.
• Secure flammable liquids. Store them in approved containers outside your home.
• Do not smoke in bed, in the couch, or in any place where you can fall asleep. Douse cigarette butts in water before disposal.
• Place flammable and combustible materials away from heat sources. The stove should never be placed near curtains and furniture. Place potholders, towels, and rugs away from the stove and other heating devices.
• Always keep matches, lighters, and other fire starters away from children’s reach.

Home fires are common and widespread. You need to improve fire safety in your home to ensure that all risks and hazards are minimized to prevent the possibility of a fire.

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We all know how the story goes. You install state-of-the-art fire safety equipment in your home, practice fire drills at least twice a year, and take fire preventive measures to ensure that no possibility of fire comes to you and your family. Then your neighbor who just does not care about the world experiences a fire outbreak in his home while you are there for a visit, and that endangers you and your family.

Fire safety should not only be concentrated in your home but should also go out to the rest of the neighborhood. Sure, there would be those people who are selfish or stubborn enough to care about an important thing like this but still you need to try to reach out and promote fire safety to your neighbors for the sake of your own family.

So how can you help in increasing fire safety awareness in your neighborhood? Here are some practical tips to help achieve that purpose.

Set a good example.

The “keeping up with the Joneses” syndrome can be put to a good use by showing your neighbors that you have the latest and high quality fire safety equipment like fire extinguishers, fire blankets, and smoke alarms. Aside from that, you can also show them that you practice fire drills every once in a while and that you ensure fire preventive measures within the family. This would certainly encourage some of your neighbors to do the same so that they would not want to be left behind.

Communicate with the local government.

Another good way to increase awareness in the neighborhood is to go directly to the local government and bring this concern to their attention. This would prompt the local authorities to organize programs that focus of fire protection in the neighborhood. You can sign up as a volunteer to help disseminate information by giving away flyers, designing posters, and putting up banners. Whether big or small, your efforts would definitely be of great value to the community.

Talk to your neighbors.

If you are a people person, this should not be any difficult. Share fire safety tips during casual conversations. Talk about fire preventive measures when the topic shifts to home dangers. Tell them about the latest fire extinguisher released in the market that you just bought when your neighbor boasts about his high-tech entertainment gadgets.

Form organizations.

If you have ample time in your hands, you might as well use this to form a group or organization within the neighborhood that aims to promote fire safety in the community. Invite your neighbors to join the purpose and formulate programs that will help carry out the organization’s objectives.

Organize trainings and seminars.

Coordinate with the fire brigade regarding this matter. Invite firefighters and/or fire experts as speakers or instructors for the seminars and trainings. These seminars can teach your neighbors about fire prevention, fire hazards, and emergency preparedness. The trainings, meanwhile, will teach the proper usage and operation of fire safety equipment.

Promoting fire safety in the neighborhood is as easy as leading by good example, communicating with the local government, talking to your neighbors, forming an organization, and organizing trainings and seminars.

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