Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fire safety during the holidays

I debated whether to bring up this topic.  On the one hand, it’s sad and depressing.  On the other hand, I learned from this information and maybe you will too.  So I share this information about fire safety so we can choose to be prepared and safe this holiday and winter season.  

It seems that every winter someone’s house burns and we hear about it on the news.  Sometimes people die in these fires.  As we enter the winter/holiday season, let’s be wise and protect our homes and our lives. Have you considered your smoke detector and its batteries lately?   Statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that “In 2005-2009, smoke alarms sounded in half of the home fires reported to U.S. fire departments.  Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.”   

The NFPA recommends properly installed hardwired smoke alarms with a battery-powered back up.  If you do not have hardwired smoke alarms, contact an electrician for installation.  The NFPA recommends that smoke alarms be located in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.  If these alarms are interconnected, all alarms will sound when any individual alarm sounds.  

A public education program held in Chicago, IL a couple weekends ago called attention to “Change your clock, change your smoke detector batteries.”  This program reminded people to change their clocks back (off daylight saving time) while changing batteries in their smoke detectors.  The NFPA recommends batteries be changed yearly.   
Our alarms began chirping this past week so David bought new batteries and changed them.  We’re ready for this next year.  Have you changed the batteries in your smoke detectors recently?  

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