Fire Safety Basics | SERVPRO® of Racine County

1/9/2024 (Permalink)

Rooftop blaze

Sometimes in the midst of our busy lives, going back to the basics is the best way to ensure we are doing something to the best of our ability. Whether it's simplifying our meals to get healthy food on the table with 

less fuss, or saying no to some of the extra activities after school in order to keep our schedule more manageable—getting back to the basics can help us be the best versions of ourselves. 

This should include getting back to the basics of ensuring your home is fire-safe. You might know that you are supposed to check your smoke detectors monthly, but when was the last time you actually did it? Do you have enough smoke detectors? What is your fire safety plan, and does your entire family know what to do in the event of an emergency? 

Let’s get back to basics and make our homes as safe as possible. 

Fire Safety Equipment

The best place to start when it comes to making sure our homes are safe from fires is with our equipment. Putting the right equipment in the right place—and knowing how to use it or respond to it—can save your life. 

You should have a smoke detector on every level of your home and outside of every sleeping space. These should be tested once a month. It is ideal to check them while your family members are home so that everyone knows exactly what they sound like. If you have a fireplace in your home, make sure there is a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide close by. 

Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen to quickly extinguish fires if they should spark. Teach several members of your family how to use it, and check it periodically to ensure it isn’t expired. 

Get to know how to handle other potential risks in your kitchen—it is one of the top spots where house fires start. Keep pot lids close at hand when you cook to smother grease fires, and never open the oven door when a fire has started inside. Turn the oven off and let the fire go out on its own. 

Make a Plan

While having plenty of safety equipment in your home can make a huge difference in keeping your family safe, without a plan, you can still end up dealing with a disaster if a fire does strike. 

Your whole family needs to know how to respond if an event does occur. Spend some time talking through escape routes and individual responsibilities. 

Draw a chart of your home and lay out the fastest route out of your home from each area. Make it a game to keep things light with your children and time them to see who can get to a pre chosen spot outside the fastest. 

Assign older family members the task of ensuring younger children or pets can safely get out of the house. Teach your kids how to call 911, and make sure they know basic information like first and last names and address descriptions. 

Practice your safety plan regularly. Put it on your calendar so you never miss a month, and combine it with checking your smoke detectors so that they always have fresh batteries. Let neighbors or extended family members know where your meeting spot is and other emergency plans so that they can check in on you if you can’t otherwise communicate. 

Take your fire safety back to the basics to keep your home protected. With the right equipment in the right places and a well-rehearsed plan, you can rest assured that you have done everything you could to prevent a disaster. 

Ready to learn more about fire safety and how to keep your home safe? Contact us for other safety tips and fast recovery when disaster strikes.