Fire Prevention

Cold weather is coming, and following these tips now can keep your home safer this winter, and prevent a disaster!

First and foremost at any time of year you should make sure to have smoke alarms, on every level of your home, especially near the bedrooms. They should be tested once a month and batteries should be replaced at least once a year.

Secondly you should also have a working carbon monoxide detector placed near your bedrooms as well. Your indoor air quality is truly vital to your short term and long term health. You can learn more about carbon monoxide and your indoor air quality at the EPA website.

Now that it is getting colder out, the safe, and effective heating of your home is essential. If you have a forced air furnace, a fireplace, or a boiler they should be inspected by a professional and serviced each year,(chimney's especially need to be cleaned thoroughly each year) preferably in the fall before use. Doing this may have a cost but it will keep your home warm and your heating equipment running efficiently, and is always better to find and fix a problem before its only 10 degrees outside.

You should always make sure all combustibles are away from all types of heating devices, and that means ANYTHING that can burn or melt.

Lastly, each year there are many devastating injuries that occur from when people do not prepare for snow and ice. Make sure to have a plan for both snow and ice, which means a way of safe snow removal, such as proper shovels, working snowblowers, or a snow removal service. Buying salt or sand for ice melting is much cheaper than a trip to the emergency room for a backache, broken arm, or fractured hip.

It is also important to educate yourself and your family about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide in your home.

For more information about these tips and much more you can visit the Home Safety Council's website.