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!
Your February Home Safety Checklist
Safety Tips You Can Use Year Round Every year starts with resolutions, such as helping people more and losing weight. One resolution that some people forget about is home safety. It’s a good resolution to have and one that is not too late to make since it’s still early in the year. Below you will find a home safety checklist that you can use in February and year-round to make sure your home is as secure as possible. Bedrooms and Other Living Spaces Practice an emergency plan and come up with escape routes for each member of your family. Practice this escape route at least once a month so that everyone knows it well. Make sure there are flashlights with functional batteries in every storm in case the power goes out due to snow or a general power outage. Take a home inventory in case a time comes that you need to file an insurance claim due to burglary or damage to the home. Install smoke detectors in bedrooms and change the batter every time Daylight Savings Times begins and ends. Make sure instruction manuals and serial numbers to important things in these rooms are kept in a file. Include warranty papers. Hallway Test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Also, remember that if you don’t have a home security system, they have built-in carbon monoxide detection and built-in smoke-detection so that authorities are alerted when these two dangerous elements are sensed and you aren’t interacting with the system. Make sure your fire extinguishers are full. The needle must be in the green. If the needle is not in the green zone, it is time to have it replaced or serviced. Make sure the hose isn’t cracked and that the handle and locking pin are in place. Kitchen Have a contact list on your refrigerator that includes all important numbers like Poison Control, the doctor, emergency services, and close family members. Check the hood fan of your range for signs of grease buildup, which can cause a fire, and regularly clean it so it performs properly. Check your kitchen fire extinguisher to ensure the needle is in the green and that nothing is broken or out of place. Deep clean your oven and range top. Use vinegar, baking soda, ice, hot water, and some lemon or lime to clean your garbage disposal. Basement Make sure the circuit breaker is clean to avoid outages and power surges. Make sure pipes are properly covered to make sure they don’t freeze. If the basement gets below 32 degrees, you are risking pipe freezing. Furnace filters need changed every four to six weeks. Air vents need to be dusted. Inspect the basement for cracks, leaks, or mold that could cause health hazards or other dangers. Make sure any outside doors to the basement are secure. If you are having a security system installed, you will want to have a sensor placed on the outside basement door, even if a thief would have to go through an interior door to access the contents of the home. Bathroom Make sure your first aid kit is full. Make sure windows have locks and that they are locked. This is something you should check throughout the entire house. Outside Check your outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting is extremely important in ensuring that you and visitors can see where you’re walking. Outdoor lighting is also a burglar deterrent. If you don’t have outdoor lights, have some installed. Motion lights are great additions. If you don’t have outside video surveillance, this is important as well. You can see who comes to your home. If someone isn’t welcome, you can see who they are. Overall Consider a full security solution. You can outfit your home to be safer, but checking fire extinguishers and making sure garbage disposals are clear don’t keep thieves away. Unfortunately, homes throughout Rochester and all over New York are being accessed by burglars daily because they don’t have security systems. Not only does this result in the loss of belongings, but a loss of personal security. Contact Your Rochester Security System Installer To make your home more secure, SPS Fire & Security has a full suite of solutions available to you. All you have to do is make the call and ask us about the solution that will fit your home and your needs. Call us today at 585-770-0348 to learn more.