FIRE SAFETY TIPS
Although we concentrate our FIRE SAFETY EFFORTS during the annual Fire Prevention Week in October, fire safety should be a year round effort. Here are some simple tips to keep your family safe.
CHIMNEY FIRES
In order to avoid having a chimney fire, have your chimney cleaned professionally on an annual basis. Some products sold in bargain stores have not been proven to clean the chimney properly.
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
CO detectors are a valuable addition to any home that uses gas or oil for heat or hot water. They detect the odorless, colorless gas created by incomplete combustion. CO detectors should be placed in an area where those fumes are likely to gather. Should your detector activate, IMMEDIATELY leave your house and call from a neighbor's home (911). DO NOT OPEN your windows to ventilate, as it will hamper the firefighter's investigation as to where the fumes are coming from and the level of danger in your home.
You will be instructed as to when it is safe to return to your home by the firefighters.
SMOKE DETECTORS
Smoke detectors should be placed on every living level of your home, including the basement and garage. They should be tested once a month and have the batteries replaced once a year.
Picking a time of year to do that can be easy to remember:
Use the anniversary of moving in to your house
A birthday
when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.
Remember that smoke detectors are a mechanical device and can only work if you maintain them. Take the time to occasionally clean them with a duster or vacuum cleaner. They also have a useful live span of only 10 years and should be replaced at that time.
