Hear That Chirp? Do Not Ignore it! SERVPRO of Paradise Valley’s Fire Safety Tips.

4/8/2021 (Permalink)

Fire & Smoke Alarm, Fire Damage & Safety, Phoenix, AZ

Recently, many of us have been asked to work from home… Some of us have even had the pleasure of having to “self-quarantine”. On the surface, that is not much fun and could be very boring… But looking at the bright side of things, this could be the perfect time to perform some of those often overlooked “tasks” we always say we will get to eventually.

One commonly overlooked task is to inspect and test your fire/smoke alarms. That annoying “beep” or “chirp” your smoke detector emits is not a good thing and should not be ignored. Typically, that noise is letting you know the battery is dangerously low and needs to be changed soon. Being proactive in fire safety is a must and here is a simple exercise to perform to make sure you are ready if there is ever an emergency.

First, close your eyes and try to imagine any room in your house that you know the best. Is it the kitchen? Bedroom? Living Room? Think about the placement of each item in that room. How many steps between that room and the closest exit? Are there usually objects left by family members that might make it difficult to evacuate the room in a hurry?

When learning to drive a racecar, one of the first lessons is to harness yourself into the seat wearing full race gear, close your eyes and hold your breath and try to climb out in under 10 seconds. (This is because racing suits can hold fire off your body for approximately that amount of time.)

Now, do you think that you could escape your favorite room in your house in less time than that and be able to make it outside to a safe place, while holding your breath and not being able to see?

If you are thinking that is not enough time, especially if you consider that you need to make sure animals or other family members get out as well, you are probably right.

How do you buy more time? Easy, one of the most overlooked items in your favorite room but one of the most important, the fire alarm. Having a working fire alarm can be the difference between catastrophe and an unfortunate loss of property.

Here are some tips to maintaining and testing your fire alarm:

1. The U.S. Fire Administration & FEMA recommends testing your fire alarm monthly, try to do it on the same day every month so you don’t forget. A good idea is to check the fire alarms when you already have your ladder out to change air filters.
2. The U.S. Fire Administration also recommends changing the batteries in your fire alarms twice a year. Opening day of the MLB and NFL are great days to remember to add that task to your calendar.
3. Remember if the device goes off frequently due to kitchen smoke or emits short quiet beeps it might need to be replaced.

Sources: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/media/pictographs/smoke_alarms.html

If you have any additional questions about fire safety for your home or business, please call SERVPRO of Paradise Valley at 602-341-6737