October Is National Fire Prevention Month

Happy beginning of the month, we are in October already. While we are all excited about all the festivities promptly approaching to us, it is important to remember that with parties and cooking and celebrations comes danger and potential fires, the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urges us to be aware of ways to help learn fire safety and prevention. We have recopilated 20 tips from the National Fire Protection Association which can come handy for you and your family:

Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet (one meter) away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, candles, jack-o-lanterns or portable space heaters.

Have a three-foot (one meter) “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

Never use your oven to heat your home.

Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

Remember to turn candles, stoves, portable heaters and anything that can cause a fire off when leaving the room or going to bed.

Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.

Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

Smoke alarms expire. Replace them every 10 years.

Have a home escape plan to show all doors and windows and discuss the plan with everyone in your home.

Make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and all members of the family know how to open them without blockages.

Have an outside meeting place at a safe distance from home to meet in case of fire like a tree or a mailbox.

Practice home fire drills at night and during the day with everyone in your home twice a year.

Teach your children how to escape on their own and practice using different ways out of the house.

If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.

If a smoke alarm sounds, GET OUT AND STAY OUT, never go back inside for toys, cellphones, people or pets.

If you have to escape through smoke, GET LOW AND GO under the smoke to your way out.

CALL 9-1-1 from outside your home.

When people who are hard of hearing are asleep, a loud, mixed, low-pitched sound alert device can wake them. A pillow or bed shaker may be helpful. These devices are triggered by the sound of the smoke alarm.

And don’t forget to talk with fire professionals at local fire stations to request their guidance if you feel like you have any questions.

Finally, please remember your friends at PuroClean Property Savers are a phone call away at (512)956-5700 or visit our website www.puroclean.com for your fire, water, mold, and biohazard emergencies in the Austin area and we work with most insurance companies, call us TODAY! We can help you start your journey to full recovery.