October is Fire Prevention Awareness Month. Take full advantage of the reminder of the month and consider what fire alarm monitoring can do to keep your family and home safe. It may just be the difference maker in the life or death situations caused by accidental fires.
Fire alarm monitoring offers more protection for you and your family in the event of a fire. Normal smoke detectors simply make noise, which is what they’re supposed to do. But all that really accomplishes is to alert anyone in the home or area that a possible fire is occurring. With monitored fire alarms, an alarm monitoring center will be alerted as soon as a fire alarm or smoke detector is triggered. The monitoring center will then alert the fire department and make sure everyone has safely gotten out of the house.
No matter the time of year, it never hurts to brush up on some fire prevention tips as well as some action items should a fire ever occur in your home.
How to Add Fire Alarm Monitoring to Your Home
Many people assume fire alarm monitoring might be a pricey purchase or addition to their home’s current security system. However, that’s simply not the case. In fact, most modern home security systems come with fire monitoring. Many packages can include smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors. With fire alarm monitoring, you’re alerted as soon as your home detectors are activated, even when you’re not at home. Fire alarm monitoring is a system designed to make sure everyone has escaped from a fire successfully that also contacts first responders to arrive at the scene immediately.
Check Your Smoke Detectors
Make sure smoke detectors are installed in every level of your home and close to all sleeping areas. It is even recommended to have a smoke detector inside every bedroom of your home. All smoke alarms should be loud enough to wake your entire house and will make sure you have plenty of time to get out of the house if there is a fire. There are even systems that work together so that when one sounds off, they all do.
Additionally, be sure to test your smoke detectors quarterly. A huge part of fire prevention is doing your own preparations. What good is a fire alarm monitoring system if the actual system isn’t up and running? To that end, change your smoke detector batteries at least twice per year.
Plan an Escape Route
Beyond a warning from your fire alarms, it is important to have a plan before a fire ever breaks out. That way, when an emergency occurs you’ll know exactly what to do. You’ll need to create an escape plan and make sure everyone in your house understands the plan.
Have a strategy for every member of the house. And designate a specific area outside of the home as a meet point. It is recommended to have two full plans of escape in the event that any routes are blocked or cutoff during the emergency. Consider purchasing escape ladders that can be attached to windows for upper-level bedrooms. And finally, be sure to thoroughly practice your fire escape route with your whole family. The goal is for everyone to feel comfortable with how to handle this scary situation, so much so that their response is automatic! Any emergency, especially fires, can cause panic and confusion. With practice comes a calm sense of knowing exactly what to do.
Always Stay Low
During a fire, smoke and carbon monoxide poisoning is just as dangerous as any flames. If you’re ever caught within thick smoke, drop and crawl along the ground to continue your escape route to safety. Heat and smoke rise, so the adjustment should help provide some short term relief while you continue to move quickly. Not only will you breathe in less smoke, it should also be easier to see and navigate your way out.
Stop, Drop, and Roll
Sometimes the oldest advice in the book is there for a reason. In the event that you or your clothing catches on fire you should immediately stop, drop to the ground, and roll back and forth until the fire is put out. Also, though it might be difficult to do in a moment in panic, try to be sure the area you do so in is safe and not compromised by fire. If it’s not possible to stop, drop, and roll, a heavy blanket or towel may also be used to snuff out small fires.
For More Security and Home Automation Tips and Solutions, Stick with ACS Security
In any crisis, a situation can go from bad to worse in seconds. Especially when it comes to fires. Always be prepared and make sure you alert your family of what to do in the event of a fire emergency. In any moment of crisis, time is a precious resource. A fire alarm monitoring system can make the difference of life-saving minutes.
And if you’re looking for more ways to keep yourself and your family safe, check out our home security and automation services at ACS Security. We offer a wide range of home security options to protect you and your family. If you’re ready to discuss our custom solutions, contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you prepare for what’s next.