Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. October is Fire Prevention Month! Help ensure your home and family are ready for the unexpected by installing smoke & CO alarms and having fire extinguishers!
When it comes to my family I’m a preventative and safety first type of Mom which is why we use First Alert in our home. And in honor of October being fire prevention month I wanted to share why we use them and ways to properly protect your family if your ever in a house fire.
Head to the official First Alert website for more info on all the products they offer and more great tips.
Were you aware that you should have a smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm installed on every level of your home. Along with one also installed in every bedroom to optimize the safety of your family.
The best way to remember where you need to install them in your home is the “every level, every bedroom” motto. This allows you and your family to know the first signs of danger and be able to properly protect and follow out your emergency escape plan if you need to.
To ensure the safety of your family you’ll want to create a checklist to make sure you cover all the important areas and don’t miss any.
To help you create it. I’m sharing my checklist below and then a list of items you should include on yours.
Items To Include On Your Checklist
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level and in every bedroom of your home.
- Test your alarms regularly.
- Change the batteries in your alarms at least every six months.
- Plan and practice your emergency escape plan at least twice a year.
Which also reminds me: have you and your family created an emergency escape route? You need to have a plan in case of an emergency. You don’t want to be fumbling around in the midst of a fire trying to protect your family.
For added safety and to prepare for the unexpected you should plan 2 ways of out each space in your home. Plan A and then your back up in the off chance you aren’t able to use your first choice. Also make sure that they are never blocked by household items.
You also need to plan a meeting spot once outside of your home that is a safe distance away. This can be a mailbox, a tree or even a neighbors home. You want it to be somewhere familiar and easy for your children to get to in the off chance they are separated from an adult. Once you have reached it be sure to call 911 immediately.
To keep everyone on the same page you’ll also want to practice your escape route at least two times a year. If you have multiple children it might be a good idea to practice even more frequently so they don’t forget it and it’s easier for everyone to maneuver at a safe speed.
Once you have installed your alarms you will want to make sure you test them regularly. This can be on a specific day of the month or what ever works best for you. The last thing you want is to have an incident happen only to find out that one or more of your alarms aren’t working properly and you miss out of the opportunity of knowing immediately that’s something is happening.
Also, 3 out of 5 fire-related deaths were in homes where a smoke alarm wasn’t installed or working. This info comes directly from the National Fire Protection Association. So around every six months, you should change all the batteries out in your alarms. For a more convenient protection method upgrade all your alarms to 10-year sealed battery alarm, like the First Alert Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with a 10-year Sealed Battery.
This will prevent you from having to hear those chirps in the middle of the night. Or worse having a battery default before your routine checking and replacement. Alarms don’t last forever even with a sealed battery so you’ll want to replace the entire alarm every 10 years.
Or for a more convenient protection method upgrade all your alarms to 10-year sealed battery alarm. They will prevent you from having to remember to change out your batteries. Or worse having a battery default before your routine checking and replacement. Alarms don’t last forever even with a sealed battery so you’ll want to replace the entire alarm every 10 years.
In our home, we are using the First Alert Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with 10-year sealed battery and the First Alert Kitchen Fire Extinguisher. This particular fire extinguisher is lightweight and easy to use, and can easily be placed in a kitchen cabinet. Find an array of First Alert products at your local Lowe’s store.
Now alarms aren’t the only thing you will need to protect your family. You’ll want to make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every level of your home. Store them near places where a fire might happen to take place. Your kitchen, your laundry room, your garage or somewhere that you’re using a grill.
The number one cause of fires is unattended cooking. And with everyone being home and cooking more now you’ll want to have it close by. Even visible if you have many home distractions during the times when you cook. For instance, are you homeschooling or working from home? Me too! So let’s not make things harder by storing it in a place you’ll forget.
If you don’t know how to use your fire extinguisher you’ll want to occasionally read the instructions so you’re not fumbling around if you ever have to use it.
Here’s how if you haven’t read the instructions on yours yet.
- P – Pull the pin
- A- Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
- S- Squeeze the trigger
- S- Sweep from side to size
The acronym to help you remember the above steps is P.A.S.S. You’ll want to make sure all adults in the home are familiar with the steps. So remember the P.A.S.S when you’re testing your alarms or practicing your escape route.
Now if you’ve made it this far I hope you’ve learned some important ways to protect your family and home if the unexpected happens.
Remember to:
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level and in every bedroom of your home. “Every level, every bedroom”.
- Test your alarms regularly.
- Change the batteries in your alarms every 6 months or upgrade to 10-year sealed battery alarms (ours are from First Alert)
- Create and plan an emergency escape route for every place in your home. (2 ways out for each). And practice it at least twice a year.
Stay safe!
Until next time, Live a life you love!
Xo Jessica!
