In honor of Fire Prevention Month, I wanted to raise awareness to practicing fire safety so your family is also prepared in case of an emergency. Over the last week, I have been getting our home super prepared in case a fire would happen. Although Aimery is too young to fully comprehend, we are still practicing safety in numbers by talking to him about home safety. Keep reading for 5 tips to prevent a fire in your home and how to keep your family safe!

SMOKE ALARMS

Smoke alarms are important to have in your home because they provide early warning if there is a fire. Did you know that over 100 million homes in the US are not protected with smoke alarms? There should be a least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, plus in every bedroom. First Alert has made it easy to know where in your home you should install fire safety equipment. You can check out their website here.

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS

I had no idea that carbon monoxide is the #1 cause of accidental death - did you?! I think that most of us don’t, since 40% of homes do not have a single CO alarm. Just like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on every level of your home and in every bedroom.

TEST AND REPLACE OFTEN

Both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be tested regularly and batteries should be replaced every 6 months. We actually just replaced the alarms in my parent’s house with First Alert’s 10-year sealed battery alarms. It was definitely time for their alarms to be replaced! Don’t forget that alarms don’t last forever, and it’s important to remember to replace every 5 to 10 years depending on the model.

MAKE AN ESCAPE PLAN

Having an escape plan is important because there are safety in numbers. Discuss your escape plan with your family and consider getting an escape ladder if you live in a home with more then one level. Having a plan for any kind of emergency will allow your family to be prepared in case something does happen! Don’t be apart of the 50% of homeowners that don’t have an escape plan!

GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED

It’s time to get everyone together and discuss home and fire safety - it’s a whole family affair! When the entire family is involved, there is safety in numbers as everyone will know what to do in the event of an emergency. First Alert makes learning about home and fire safety fun with their interactive videos!