Fire Safety Tips
Earlier this week, we talked about the drought in Georgia and ways you can save water and reduce your monthly water bill. Along with the drought comes a higher risk for fire. Fire safety tips are generally drilled into us in elementary school through demonstrations by the local fire department, but how many of us still remember what we learned all those years ago? The risk of you and your home being involved in a fire increases during the summer due to things like drought and fireworks during the 4th of July. Did you know that if your home catches on fire you may have less than 2 minutes to escape?
Today let’s go over some quick refresher points so that you’ll be prepared in case of a fire in your home!
Fire Safety Tips-
1. Make sure you and your family members have a fire escape plan and that you practice it a couple times a year. Try to seek out two ways to escape from each room in your home. You should also have a designated meeting spot outside of your home so you can account for all family members if you do have a fire in your home.
2. If your home does catch on fire, get out immediately and don’t go back in.
3. Teach all your family members to stop, drop, and roll in case their clothing catches on fire. This one is basic, but it can be life saving!
4. Check your smoke detectors once a month. If they aren’t working, replace the batteries. All of your smoke detectors should be completely replaced every 10 years.
5. Make sure your home is equipped with enough smoke detectors. You should have at least one on each level of your home.
6. Know the difference between a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Both are important and life saving and neither can be substituted for the other!
7. Ensure that everyone in your family- especially young children- is familiar with the sound of a smoke detector! The high pitched sound can be scary, especially to children, so making sure that everyone is familiar with the sound is crucial.
8. If you use space heaters in your home, make sure all flammable objects are at least three feet away from the heaters. If you leave your home, make sure all heaters are turned off.
9. Having a portable fire extinguisher handy can be key to stopping a fire before it gets out of control. However, you should be properly trained in how to use it!
10. The word PASS can help you remember how to use a fire extinguisher.
-Pull the pin and hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointed away from you.
-Aim low. You should always point the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire.
-Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
-Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
Make sure to review these fire safety tips to help keep you and your family safe this summer and all year long! If you have experienced a fire in your home and need plumbing restoration help, call the local professionals you can trust at Masterflo Plumbing. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (678) 822-7095!