Five Tips to Keep Your Family Safe in the Event of Fire

There is no time like the present to beef up your home fire safety, and you should reevaluate your home's fire-prevention frequently. There are over 1.2 million home fires reported in the US annually, and that is a compelling reason to keep your family safe with some simple strategies.

Five things that you need to keep your home safe from fire are the following

Fire extinguishers. Do you have ample fire extinguishers located throughout your home? These are inexpensive to buy, and you should have a couple in prominent locations in your house, such as in the kitchen, near your garage, and on any additional levels of your home. Make sure that you have your extinguishers inspected and recharged annually to ensure that they work without a hitch when you need them the most.

Some salt. Grease fires need to be doused with salt, so keep an extra bag near the stove or in a cabinet close by. Salt smothers the fire while using water can actually make the fire worse. Demonstrate this to all of your family members and show everyone that lives in the home where to find the stash of salt in the event of a kitchen fire.

Smoke alarms. Are you testing your smoke alarms periodically? These should be tested, and the batteries should be checked every few months. Be sure that at least one of your alarms is wired in with a battery back-up for optimal safety and fire prevention.

A common meeting place. Designate a common meeting place in the event that a fire displaces your family from the home. It should be far enough away from the house to be safe during a fire or emergency yet close enough for everyone to get there quickly. Talk with each member about getting to this meeting spot so that it can be determined who if anyone is still in the house during a fire or another crisis.

A preparedness plan. In the event of a fire, it will be tough for all members of the family to think and act rationally and respond quickly. A great way to prepare family members for these situations is with a preparedness plan; in addition to the common meeting-place arrangement, be sure that family knows to keep low during a fire and that there are a couple of exits mapped out ahead of time to help get them out of the house.

Fire safety is a topic that warrants reinforcement and practice; work with your family on a preparedness plan that provides a couple of ways to get out the house quickly as well as a predetermined meeting place. Have a hardware-store or fire-department official inspect your extinguishers annually to ensure they are in good working order. Stock up on smoke detectors and salt as additional measures to keep your family safe and be ready in the event of a fire-related emergency in your home. You can talk with companies such as AC&C Safety Solutions INC about furthering your fire-safety measures.