Fire Protection Awareness Month
Happy Friday! October is Fire Protection Awareness Month, so this week’s Fun Fact Friday post will provide some information on what kind of precautions you can take to prevent fires.
Here are some helpful tips to be more aware of fire protection this October:
- Test your smoke detector every month. If you have children, make sure they hear the test so that they know what sound the alarm makes.
- Make sure your family is aware of evacuation routes and procedures if a fire should occur.
- Replace the batteries in older smoke detectors every 6 months. Some newer smoke alarms have lithium-ion batteries that only need to be changed every 10 years.
- Replace the entire smoke alarm system every 10 years. Home photoelectric detectors degrade in sensitivity and are not reliable after 10 years.
- With Halloween coming up, be careful where you put decorations. They could be a fire hazard if they are placed too close to heat sources. Avoid using real candles to decorate, especially if children are present.
- If you use wood as a heat source, be sure that your fireplace or stove is clean and in good condition. Replace the door gaskets on wood burners to keep them running efficiently and safely. Use a metal pail to dispose of hot ashes, and take the pail outside when you are done with it.
- Make sure all fire extinguishers are working. If the fire extinguisher does not have a pressure gauge, make sure that there is no leaked powder at the nozzle. Shake the fire extinguisher once a year to loosen caked powder.
- Inspect your furnace or have it serviced by a professional company. Modern gas furnaces should be cleaned at the beginning of each cold season. Replace the furnace filter at least twice throughout the year to improve efficiency.
- Inspect the outside of your home to make sure the furnace air intake and exhaust are unobstructed and clear of debris, and that your dryer vent is clear as well.
- Be sure that all space heaters have been cleaned and tested. Space heaters sold in New York State require tip-over switches, so test to make sure these work properly.
For more information about fire safety, check out the National Fire Protection Association website.
Read about innovations in fire protection design on page 68 of this article, authored by Encorus Group’s Senior Electrical Engineer, Tom Gilmartin, and Senior Fire Protection Engineer, John Allan.
If your building requires fire protection design services, call Tom Gilmartin, P.E. at (716) 592-3980 x124, email at tgilmartin@encorus.com, or fill out a contact form on our website. Stay safe!
