Search Results for: blog check your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers

Time for a Safety Inspection

The application is finally completed; your references are getting their reference letters, so now what? Now you will begin going through the entire checklist. You will need to have a safety & fire inspection. If you call your local fire department they will usually come to your home and do the Fire Inspection at no cost to you. When they come out they will need to see and test working smoke detectors in each bedroom, the hall between bedrooms, the kitchen and living room. If your home has burglar bars you will not pass the inspection. You need to have … Continue reading →

Do You Have a Pet Emergency Evacuation Plan?

The spooky incident with my neighbor’s fire yesterday got me to thinking about emergency evacuation plans. Namely, how I don’t have one. Which was something I’d never really considered before. Have you? Sure, I had thought about how to help Murph and the cats if I wasn’t there by posting an I.C.E sticker. But I’d never really considered what I’d do if I was there during the emergency. For some, like my neighbor Cindy, the question isn’t a hypothetical one. She’s got real-life experience in two types of scenarios. One where the danger was imminent and another where it’s urgent … Continue reading →

Cats and Fire Don’t Mix

Between the car accident and my mom’s stroke, I’m ready for things to get back to some level of normalcy. It won’t be today. I had just gotten into the shower when I heard the doorbell ring. Since I was naked and wet, as well as running behind schedule, I figured whoever was ringing would come back. Or call and say they’d tried to stop by. But a few minutes later I heard sirens. A few seconds after that I knew they had turned into our neighborhood, and it didn’t take me even a nanosecond more to realize they’d turned … Continue reading →

Is it Time for a Check Up?

This has nothing to do with going to the doctor or the dentist, so you don’t have to dread this kind of check up. This is just a discussion of routine maintenance for a few important home items as the weather changes and we move closer to the end of the year. Safety Equipment Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Many have built in testers to see if they are working properly. Also, be sure to check the batteries, even in detectors that are wired to an electric power source. If the power goes out, it does no … Continue reading →

Educational Moments: Unusual and Unexpected Fire Safety Lesson

It all started with the shifting of a box in the pantry. Suddenly there was a hissing noise and a cloud of “dust.” It quickly took over the pantry and kitchen and slowly spread into the living room and dining room. My first thought was “Oh my gosh! What is this?” Then it dawned on me, it was the fire extinguisher that hadn’t been mounted on the wall yet. Apparently, when I moved the box, it pushed the extinguisher under the table that the microwave is on, which in turn pushed the trigger on the fire extinguisher. (Note to readers: … Continue reading →

Study Says Mom’s Recorded Voice Works Best To Rouse Sleepy Kids

A mom’s voice works wonders to soothe a crying baby. It also works better than traditional fire alarms in rousing kids from a deep sleep. According to a recently released study, when moms recorded a message calling their kids by name and ordering them to get out of their bedrooms the kids were more likely to wake up than when they heard the traditional beeping sounds of a smoke alarm. The study was conduced with 24 children ranging in age from 6 to 12. The mothers recorded a message saying, “Tyler, Tyler (child’s first name)! Wake up! Get out of … Continue reading →

Home Check Up: Smoke Detectors and More

Day Light Savings time ended on October 29th, and many experts say that’s a good time to check out household safety implement such as your smoke detectors. It makes sense, because it’s something we don’t really use, and it’s easy to forget to check the batteries. Even if your detectors are hardwired, you need battery back up, in case of a power outage. If you didn’t get a chance to check or change your batteries yet, now is as good a time as any. Write it down or send yourself a reminder if you need to, because it’s important. You … Continue reading →

National Fire Prevention Week October 8-14

October 8-14 is National Fire Prevention week. This week is focused on preventing fires, as well as preparing yourself and your family for a fire. This is a great week to review the fire safety procedures that you already have in place with your family. It is also an excellent time to make sure that you are checking fire safety items on a regular basis. Here is a list of things, which you should try to do this week. 1) Check your smoke detectors and your fire extinguishers, and make sure everything is in order. You should have at least … Continue reading →

Home and Family: Safety

Keeping our families safe is one of our greatest duties, and is often one of our most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, there are so many things to take into consideration, that safety can become an overwhelming job. These tips will help simplify some things: Check Your Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector Regularly To help you remember when your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector were last tested or when the batteries were last replaced, perform these tasks at each Daylight Savings Time change (if you observe Daylight Savings in your area). Change your reminder to “spring ahead, fall back, check … Continue reading →

State Adoption: Home Safety Inspection.

The home safety inspection was the most stressful part of the home study process for me personally. Not because our home is unsafe just because I felt the need to be sure and make sure we were ready for anything that might come up. During the adoption training, or at some point along the line, families are given the Home Safety Inspection Check list. The state children’s services will outline all the rules and regulations about your home and the requirements for having children placed to live in your home. There is usually a definition of how much living space … Continue reading →