Masterguard wants you to know that it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to prevent a fire, or to be prepared to live through a fire. Did you know that every year more than four thousand Americans die in fires? In addition, most fires happen in the home. Being prepared could be the difference between survival and being a casualty.
The first thing every home should have is a smoke alarm. In fact, every home should have several smoke alarms. There should be at least one on every floor of the house, as well as one in, or just outside, every bedroom. All of the smoke detectors should be tested at least monthly. All you have to do to test it is to hold the small red “test” button for 1-2 seconds. If you don’t get a quick alarm chirp, you know you have to change the battery. Batteries degrade over time, even if they aren’t used heavily. It is recommended that you change the batteries once a year. It will be easy to remember when to change them if you do it when the clocks change, either in the spring or the fall. Masterguard knows that a house can fill with black smoke in only a few minutes. Every family should have an escape route planned in the event a fire breaks out. Exiting the house as quickly and safely as possible should be the goal. Depending on the layout of the house, not everyone in the family will have the same exit route. A window may be the quickest route, or a back door, or maybe the front door. Additionally, every person should have an alternate route planned in the event their primary escape route is blocked. A designated rendezvous point should part of the escape plan. This meeting place should be safely away from the house. Finally, the plan should be practiced regularly both during the day, and at night with the lights out. Fires can spread incredibly fast, so don’t try to save a bunch of possessions from your house. Almost anything can be replaced, except lives. In the event of a fire, the primary concern must be getting everyone to safety as quickly as possible. The need for additional heat in the wintertime is one of the main causes of residential fires. This is when fireplaces, furnaces, spaces heaters and wood-burning stoves get their most use. Before you use a fireplace or wood-burning stove for the season, check and clean the chimney if necessary. Use a fireplace screen to catch any sparks and make sure the door(s) to the wood-burning stove are in place and intact to prevent sparks form coming out. Before going to bed or leaving the house, make sure that the fire is totally out, or that space heaters are unplugged. Masterguard says to keep flammable materials away from any of these heating units, and never use them to dry clothes or other items. Christmas can be a wonderful time to spend with family and friends, but it is also a time for extra awareness with regards to fire safety. Both before and after your tree is decorated, make sure it has plenty of water so it doesn’t dry out. All light strands should be inspected before you put them on the tree. Look for frays, cracked insulation, and sockets that are broken. If they pass a visual test, don’t overload individual electrical sockets. The standard rule is that no more than 3 strands should be strung together. Of course, never have an open flame on or near the tree. Finally, the lights should never be left on unattended. Before you leave the house or go to bed, be sure to unplug the tree lights. Once you take the tree down, dispose of it properly. Masterguard wants everyone to be safe!
