...And if you don't got 'em, get one!
To what am I referring?
One of these, of course!
It is so easy to take smoke detectors for granted. Those annoying things go off every time we cook something. I hate changing the batteries. I have to get the ladder out just to reach the darn things. I needed a nine volt battery for something else. But for all those reasons, here are few more to keep them in mind: Your family. Your belongings. Your life. It has been proven that smoke detectors save lives, but so many of us don't know that, because we simply take them for granted.
Make sure you install fresh batteries when we spring ahead this weekend. Be sure they are free of dust, bugs, cobwebs and other junk that could cause it to either go off when it shouldn't, or not go off at all. If your smoke detectors are approaching ten years old or older, replace them. Make sure the detectors are not placed in a corner or near an air return, because corners are dead spaces for air, and of course, air returns can move smoke around and away from a smoke detector. Then, get into the habit of maintaining your smoke detectors at least once a month, by testing them. These tests can serve another purpose, besides making sure the detectors are working.
Here is a great video you can watch with your kids about smoke detectors:
You can also practice Exit Drills In The Home, or E.D.I.T.H.
E.D.I.T.H. is a great way for you and your family to practice an escape plan, should you ever need one. Always know two ways out of a room, and make sure you have a meeting place. Once you test the smoke detectors, you can have your family leave the house, and go to that meeting place. Time it. Work on it. Improve it. Do it. It could save lives. It gets small children used to the sound of the fire alarm, and helps them to understand how important it is to get out, and stay out.
And here is a great video about E.D.I.T.H.:
To what am I referring?
One of these, of course!
This is your standard, everyday, run of the mill smoke detector. But is it really run of the mill? No, it's much more important that that. It can save your life. You should have one on every level of your home and inside each bedroom. You need to make sure it works, of course, and now is the perfect time to do that!
It is so easy to take smoke detectors for granted. Those annoying things go off every time we cook something. I hate changing the batteries. I have to get the ladder out just to reach the darn things. I needed a nine volt battery for something else. But for all those reasons, here are few more to keep them in mind: Your family. Your belongings. Your life. It has been proven that smoke detectors save lives, but so many of us don't know that, because we simply take them for granted.
Make sure you install fresh batteries when we spring ahead this weekend. Be sure they are free of dust, bugs, cobwebs and other junk that could cause it to either go off when it shouldn't, or not go off at all. If your smoke detectors are approaching ten years old or older, replace them. Make sure the detectors are not placed in a corner or near an air return, because corners are dead spaces for air, and of course, air returns can move smoke around and away from a smoke detector. Then, get into the habit of maintaining your smoke detectors at least once a month, by testing them. These tests can serve another purpose, besides making sure the detectors are working.
Here is a great video you can watch with your kids about smoke detectors:
You can also practice Exit Drills In The Home, or E.D.I.T.H.
E.D.I.T.H. is a great way for you and your family to practice an escape plan, should you ever need one. Always know two ways out of a room, and make sure you have a meeting place. Once you test the smoke detectors, you can have your family leave the house, and go to that meeting place. Time it. Work on it. Improve it. Do it. It could save lives. It gets small children used to the sound of the fire alarm, and helps them to understand how important it is to get out, and stay out.
And here is a great video about E.D.I.T.H.:
Both videos were produced by the National Fire Protection Association. Please go visit NFPA.org for more information on how to keep your family safe from fire.
If you make sure you maintain your smoke detectors and practice an escape plan, I know I will see you tomorrow.
--Jonny
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