Fire Safety Over the Thanksgiving Holiday
Tips that Go Beyond the Kitchen Thanksgiving is a delicious time of year in which we give special attention to the many things that we are thankful for. It’s also a time in which we must be extra vigilant about fire risks and safety so that those people and things that we love are protected. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to ensure that your home is safe during this chaotic and joyful time without adding too much to an already very long to-do list. These are also measures that can protect you, your family, and your home year round. Protect Yourself Against Fire, Flood & CO Every Day! But First, A Look at Some Numbers Before we get into the tips, it’s good to get a solid understanding of why you need to make extra sure that you prevent a Thanksgiving fire, which will help you prevent a fire at any time. The U.S. Fire Administration published a report on Thanksgiving fires in residential buildings from 2014 to 2016 and this is what they found: For every year (2014, 2015, and 2016), there were approximately 2,400 residential fires reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving day, which caused $19 million in property loss in addition to the 25 injuries and 5 deaths. There are 1.8 Thanksgiving Day fires per 1,000 fires compare to 5.8 non-Thanksgiving Day fires per 1,000 fires. There are 11 injuries per 1,000 Thanksgiving fires compared to 25.7 injuries per 1,000 non-Thanksgiving fires. $7,800 is the average loss per fire compared to $17,560 for non-Thanksgiving Day fires. Multifamily dwellings account for 32.1% of Thanksgiving Day fires. One- and two-family dwellings account for 62.6% of Thanksgiving Day fires, while the remaining 5.3% is reserved for other types of homes. Thanksgiving fire alarm numbers begin to increase at 7:00 a.m. and peak from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 77% of Thanksgiving fires are limited to the object of origin, which means it is contained where it begins. However, this doesn’t minimize the extent of injury. Cooking is responsible for 76.5% of Thanksgiving fires. You can see here that the pattern of Thanksgiving fires is different from a random fire that happens any other time of the year. Knowing the profile of what makes a Thanksgiving fire different can help you with prevention. Just don’t let the fact that there are fewer deaths or injuries per 1,000 fires get your guard down because Thanksgiving is one day a year and nearly 3,000 fires on one day is a lot. Fire Safety Tips to Keep You Safe on Thanksgiving Now it’s time for some quick tips. For instance, HAVE A WORKING SMOKE ALARM. This is key in fire containment and overall safety. Security alarms have built-in smoke detectors that can detect smoke or fire anywhere in the house all year round. Second, make sure you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen close to the stove and oven. Before you start cooking, make sure your fire extinguisher is safe to use. Third, don’t cook with long, loose sleeves since loose clothing can catch fire. Some other tips: Don’t leave cooking food unattended. Yes, it is tempting to make that quick trip to the grocery store, but either have another adult watch the kitchen or send them on an errand. Kids and the cooking of a huge meal aren’t compatible. It’s best that the little ones stay away from all of the sharp objects and hot things. Face pot and pan handles toward the back of the stove so they aren’t over any burners. Be mindful of towel placement so they don’t touch a burner and catch fire. If a fire occurs, your 24/7 monitored security system can alert the authorities. Don’t yet have a system? Call 911 immediately. If the fire is a grease or oil fire, don’t throw the contents outside. Instead, place a lid over the flames to snuff them out and turn off the heat. The lid shouldn’t be removed until the pan cools. You can also put out an oven fire by keeping the door closed and turning off the heat so it smothers. Opening the door simply gives the fire oxygen to thrive. Baking soda is also another good thing to have to put out a food fire. You don’t want to use flour or water because the reaction could be a violent one that causes the fire to spread. Contact An Expert Rochester Fire Alarm Company By keeping the above fire safety tips in mind, you should have a much safer Thanksgiving. If you don’t have an alarm system that can detect smoke or fire anywhere in your home, SPS Fire & Security has some great options that will help you protect your family and your home. Call us for more information at 585-770-0348. Happy Thanksgiving!
Top Home Security Systems Can Increase Your Home’s Worth
How Home Security in Rochester, Syracuse & Buffalo is Increasing Home Values There are many things that we do to our homes to increase their worth, such as hardwood flooring, modern bathroom fixtures, and other types of renovations. But did you know that home security systems and home automation products can increase your home’s value as well? Let’s take a look at the different elements of a home security system that can make your home worth more: 1. Smart Thermostats Anything that helps your home save energy can give your home value a boost. When energy is saved, energy bills are reduced. Most smart thermostats pay for themselves within 24 months. This means that a return on investment is produced for the lifetime of the thermostat. You can tell the thermostat to adjust the temperature at certain times during the day or control it through your mobile phone or tablet. 2. 24/7 Security System Monitoring 24/7 monitoring is becoming more popular because it is like having a security guard at your door every single day and night. The rising popularity in home alarm monitoring is resulting in more professional security system installations than do-it-yourself security systems. This is good since do-it-yourself systems may just be an alarm with no monitoring and no way to notify you if there is an emergency. 3. Fire and Carbon Monoxide Protection A security system can also provide you with fire and carbon monoxide protection. If you decide to sell your home, this is something that a potential buyer could find very appealing. Added protection is always a plus. A top security system can also be outfitted with the capability to detect flooding in the basement, which will give you a notification if a pipe bursts or a flooding event happens in your area while you’re out of town. 4. Smart Lights Imagine being out of town and controlling your lights through your phone. One of the biggest pieces of advice that people receive when going out of town is to leave a light on. With smart lights, you can alternate lights each night to make it appear that someone is home. Contact An Experienced Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse Home Security Alarm Company At SPS Fire & Security, we want to help you increase your home value by installing a top security system within your home. Not only does this give you peace of mind in the way of keeping you and your family safer, but brings more value to the home in a unique way. To learn more, call us at 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.