Spring into the Season Safely

4/14/2018 (Permalink)

A photo of a smoke alarm from the CDC.

At SERVPRO of West Brown County we know fires can strike at any time of the day or night. We also know how devastating, even deadly those fires can be.

One great way to protect yourself and your family is to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home. The key word here is WORKING.

The National Safety Council (NSC) has a spring safety checklist for you to check off when doing your annual spring cleaning. Number one on the list? Check those smoke alarms.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) goes a step further saying smoke alarms SAVE LIVES.

An NFPA study shows:

• A smoke alarm sounds in about half of U.S. home fires on average.
• Three of every five home fire deaths occur in houses where there are no smoke alarms, or no working smoke alarms.
• About 70% of the incidents in which the alarms do NOT sound the batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.

There are simple steps you can and should take this spring to make sure your smoke alarms are ready to go. The NSC advises:

• Test your alarms at least once a month.
• Change you alarm batteries at least once a year.
• If an alarm is making a chirping sound, replace the battery immediately.
• Put alarms up in each bedroom and common room on each floor of your home.

Going hand in hand with smoke alarms are carbon monoxide detectors. The NSC describes carbon monoxide (CO) as an “invisible, odorless gas, and it can kill you.”

The NSC has advice about protecting yourself from CO gas:

• Anything that burns fuel can produce CO.
• Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed outside each bedroom and on every level of your house.
• You should test the batteries monthly and change them yearly.

As we get deeper into spring it’s a good idea to go through this checklist to ensure your family is as safe as possible when it comes to fire and carbon monoxide.

Please protect yourself and if a fire should affect your property, we are here for you. Our SERVPRO team is well-prepared to clean up and provide any necessary reconstruction services. You can reach us at 920-434-8224.