Fire Safety Tips

3/30/2020 (Permalink)

Smoke detectors are important to keep your family safe.

When you own a home in Ogden, UT, you hope that a house fire is something you never have to deal with. If a fire does break out, however, you want to be properly prepared so that your family can get out in time.

Three fire safety tips for ensuring that your fire alarm system is the best it can be.

1. Install Smoke Detectors

Your best chance of getting out of your home quickly in the event of a fire is being alerted to its presence. One detector won't cut it. You need at least one detector on every level of your home, one inside each bedroom and one outside every sleeping area. It is advisable to purchase a combination of ionization and photoelectric alarms, because they detect different types of smoke. You may even be able to find alarms that detect both types of fires.

2. Maintain System

Your fire alarm system needs proper maintenance to ensure that it continues to keep you and your family safe. You should test the batteries in each detector every month and replace them once a year. The smoke detectors themselves need to be replaced every 8-10 years. You may not be able to prevent smoke damage to your home, but with a properly maintained system, you can be alerted in time to avoid personal injury.

3. Practice Escape Plan

Newer building materials burn much faster and hotter than older homes, causing both greater fire damage and heightened danger for those inside. If you live in a newer home, you need to be able to get out quickly. Talk to your family about your emergency escape plan, but don't stop at having the conversation. Practice exactly what you need to do when you hear the smoke alarm go off. Knowing what to do in a fire can save lives.

Your fire alarm system is essential to keeping you safe during a fire. Make sure it is adequate and in good working order so that it can alert your family at the first sign of a fire.