As we transition to October, it’s important to be aware that October is Fire Prevention Month! Ben and I have been preparing for baby #2 over the last few weeks, and making sure our family is prepared in any circumstance we may face, including fire safety. Aimery talks about how much he wants to be a firefighter one day, so Ben and I have been finding ways to incorporate that into our day-to-day. We’ve been putting together a checklist for fire prevention month with the help of First Alert to make sure our home and our safety plan are all in check. You can find Fire Alert fire safety products at your local Lowe’s. Keep reading to learn more about our family’s fire prevention month checklist!

INSTALLING ALARMS

The first thing we did was install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on every level and in every bedroom of your home. It is so important to make sure all rooms and levels of your home have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors! The best way to know if you’ve got enough protection with these alarms is to think “every level, every bedroom” and you’ll be good to go.

TESTING ALARMS REGULARLY

We’ve been doing monthly alarm checks to make sure everything is working the way it’s supposed to. With baby girl coming so soon, we’ve been a lot more cautious with making sure everything is in order and working properly. 

CHANGING THE BATTERIES

We’ve also been changing the batteries in your alarms at least every six months. If you’re worried about forgetting to change the batteries in the alarms regularly, try setting a reminder on your phone to go off every six months! For more convenience, you can upgrade your protection to the First Alert Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with a 10-year sealed battery alarm to eliminate having to replace the batteries for a decade! Alarms don’t last forever, so it’s good to replace them every 10 years.

It’s important to note that 3 out of every 5 home fire deaths take place in homes that don’t have working smoke alarms or don’t have them at all. Be sure that you’re keeping you and your family as safe as possible by adding protection and testing your alarms regularly. Don’t remove any alarms or batteries from alarms without replacing them in return!

PRACTICING EMERGENCY ESCAPE PLAN 

At least twice a year, plan and practice your emergency escape plan. Ben and I have been working really hard on getting together with a safety plan that works for our family. We’ve been having discussions with Aimery about the importance of having an emergency escape plan and he’s been so good with helping us put it together. We’ve come up with a plan for two ways out of every area of our home and where to meet after evacuating. We have decided that upon all of us arriving at the safe space, we will then stay outside and call 911 right away. Talk with your family and come up with an evacuation plan that fits your needs. 

PLACING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ON EVERY LEVEL

While they can be a bit intimidating, fire extinguishers are so important to have on every level of your home, especially in any common areas. Since we’re spending a lot more time at home and are cooking a lot more these days, we made sure to put one in the kitchen on our main floor, one in the hall closet of the second floor, and Ben and I have one up in our bedroom loft. Did you know that the #1 cause of fires is from unattended cooking? Make sure you have an extinguisher within reach, know how to use it, and are prepared to in case of emergency. 

First Alert has helped me a lot with learning how to use fire extinguishers and feeling confident in my knowledge of them. First Alert came up with a super-easy way to remember how to use a fire extinguisher with the acronym P.A.S.S. 

P - Pull the pin 

A- Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire 

S- Squeeze the trigger  

S- Sweep from side to size