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Celebrate Fire Prevention Week from October 9 - 15

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is celebrating Fire Prevention Week from October 9-15, and this year’s theme is “Protect your Family from Fire!” The campaign is all about keeping you, your family and your community safer from fire.

According to the latest statistics, U.S. fire departments responded to 362,500 home fires in 2009, and these fires killed 2,565 people and injured 12,650. The good news is that escape planning, smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers can significantly reduce the risk to children and families.

Here are some ways you can protect your home and family from home fires:

Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it. According to the NFPA, less than one-fourth of Americans have both developed and practiced a fire escape plan. A home fire can become life threatening more quickly than most people think, so knowing what to do if there is a fire will help everyone make it to safety in less time. 

Make sure you have at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your home, installed high on a wall or on a ceiling. Most importantly, make sure the batteries are working. In more than half of the reported home fires in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate, batteries were missing or disconnected. 

Consider installing a home fire sprinkler, which can contain and even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene. Because they react so quickly in a fire, sprinklers are highly effective in reducing the risk of death or injury from a fire by dramatically reducing heat, flames and smoke, and allowing people time to evacuate the home. 

SOURCE: Weichert Insights

As our reliance on electricity grows, so does the potential for electrical safety hazards.

Electricity is an increasing presence in our modern lives. As our reliance on electricity grows, so does the potential for electrical safety hazards. The good news is that electrical safety awareness and education among consumers, families, employees and communities can prevent electrical fires, injuries, fatalities and property loss.

To increase public awareness of the electrical hazards around us, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May. ESFI offers the following tips to help protect yourself, your family and your home by identifying and eliminating electrical hazards:

• Make sure entertainment centers and computer equipment have plenty of space around them for ventilation. Keep liquids, including drinks, away from electrical items such as televisions and computers.

• Use extension cords only as a temporary solution, and never as a permanent power supply. Do not place extension cords in high traffic areas, under carpets or across walkways, where they pose a potential tripping hazard.

• Use a surge protector to protect your computer and other electronic equipment from damage caused by voltage changes.

• Heavy reliance on power strips is an indication that you have too few outlets to address your needs. Have additional outlets installed by a qualified, licensed electrician.

SOURCE: Weichert Insights 2011

Protect your property and the lives of your loved ones, by taking these steps to reduce fire risk.

With cooking, candles and lighted decorations, there are more residential fires during the holiday season than at any other time of the year. Protect your property, and the lives of your loved ones, by taking these steps to reduce the fire risk in your home.

• According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking is the top cause of holiday fires. Be sure to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and learn how to use it. And, because kitchen fires most commonly occur when cooking food is left unattended, if you leave the kitchen, carry something with you that will serve as a reminder that you have food on the stove.

• Minimize the danger of a burning candle by never leaving flames unattended. You should also make sure there is approximately one foot of space between the candle and anything that can burn. Perhaps the best prevention is making an investment in flameless LED candles.

• Live Christmas trees are highly flammable. You can reduce the risk of a fire by watering the tree every day and keeping it at least three feet away from heat sources. It's also important to note that even when watered every day, a tree will dry out after four weeks and should be removed.

SOURCE: Weichert Insights