Daily Things to Do to Prevent a House Fire

No one thinks their house will catch fire, but accidents happen. Our priority is keeping you, your

family, and your home safe! We want you to keep your home intact, so we came up with some things you can do to prevent the common causes of house fires:

·         Clean Your Stove - Built up grease can easily catch fire when you are cooking if you do not clean it often.

·         Check Your Dryer - Always clean the lint filter before putting another load of clothes in the dryer. It is also important to clean out your dryer vent regularly because lint can build up and start a fire.

·         Check the electrical cords - You should never use an electrical cord that is frayed. This goes for headphones and phone chargers too.

·         Batteries - Many people keep their batteries all in one drawer. However, if the ends touch it can spark. These sparks have been known to start house fires. If possible keep the batteries in their original package.

These are just a few of the many things that can start a house fire, so it is important to be prepared for the worst. Our emergency escape ladder will allow the whole family to reach safety even if you have a multi-story home. Call us today at (800) 736-4022 with any questions regarding our ladders or your family’s safety.  

Things to Keep in Mind When Preparing for Fire Emergencies

When it comes to making sure your home and family are prepared in the event of a fire emergency,

there are certain things you need to keep in mind. This not only goes beyond the actual fire escape plan and practicing it, but also prevention steps that your family needs to know as well. Here are two things you need to keep in mind when preparing your family and house for a fire emergency.

Preparedness goes further than your plan – When you are making sure that your family is prepared in the event of a fire in your home, planning your safety route is just the beginning. Necessary steps beforehand like how to prevent a fire from happening in the house, as well as education on how lesser known actions can start a fire are essential in prevention. Educating your family on how to stop a fire from happening with simple, everyday tasks can be what saves you in the end.

Fire alarm locations and sounds – This may seem like a pretty obvious step in preparing for fire emergencies, but making sure that your family knows the exact locations of all fire alarms and their sounds is crucial. This is especially important for smaller children in the event that an alarm does sound, since they may be disoriented by the loud noises and not know what is going on. Teaching them what the alarms look like, where they are in your home, and what they sound like is an essential part in any fire safety plan.

If you are looking for an emergency escape ladder to incorporate into your home’s fire safety plan, turn to us at ResQLadder® – the makers of the original escape ladder. For almost 50 years, ResQLadder® Emergency Escape Ladders have been manufactured to make sure you and your family are safe from harm. Always 100% made in the U.S.A. Learn more about our fire escape ladders today at ResQLadder.com.

Fire Safety Equipment for Your Home

As a homeowner, you want to protect your family and home from fire. One important element of fire

safety is installing the necessary equipment. Here is a list of fire safety equipment to keep your home fire safe.

Smoke Detectors

Three out of 5 home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke detector or one that was not working. Most of the non-working ones had dead or disconnected batteries or no battery at all. Smoke alarms can be battery operated or hard-wired and you need to test them monthly. You should also replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

Fire Escape Ladders

People don't normally think about these but they are a necessity for multi-level homes. There are over 70 million homes in the U.S. that have two or three stories and only 6 percent have emergency escape ladders. They are easy to use and there should be one in each room with a window in the upper levels of your home.

Home Fire Sprinklers

Many people do not know that fire sprinklers are available for residences. Automatic sprinklers will save lives and can put out a fire long before the fire department arrives. This reduces the amount of property loss to your home by around 70 percent. Average cost to install is $1.60 per square foot.

Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire extinguishers can put out a small fire or keep it from spreading before the fire fighters arrive. Before using, make sure everyone is out of the house safely and the fire department has been notified. There should be a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, garage, and workshop. Buy a multipurpose one and make sure you understand how to use it.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Even though carbon monoxide detectors do not warn of fire, they are the reason behind many fire department visits. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas formed when fuel does not burn completely. It is very dangerous and can poison or kill people. Combination smoke and CO detectors are available for purchase. 

How to Prepare for Commercial Fire Emergencies

There are around 80,000 commercial fires in the United States every year. These cause approximately

3,000 deaths, 18,000 injuries, and over $10 billion in damages.

Here are the top causes of commercial fires and ways to prepare for a fire emergency:

Common Causes

It is important to know how and where most commercial fires start, so you can try to prevent them. Common causes are:

·         Cooking: Typically caused by employees cooking places other than the kitchen

·         Electrical: Usually caused by violations of electrical codes or an overloaded system

·         Heaters/Boilers: Occurs when they are not maintained properly

·         Smoking: Workers smoking in undesignated areas

·         Arson: Usually happens in unused buildings

·         Storage: Storing flammable materials improperly

Preparing the Workplace

Here are steps to ensure the workplace is safe and easy to evacuate:

·         Have fire safety equipment including: fire extinguishers, emergency escape ladders (second floor and above), fire blankets, signage showing this equipment, and the evacuation path

·         Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

·         Put in a sprinkler system

·         Have kitchen hoods with fire extinguishing capabilities

·         Install an alarm system with lights and sound

·         Have emergency lighting

Preparing the Workers

Training is crucial in preparing workers to deal with a fire. Employees need to be reminded annually of emergency procedures. Topics to cover when training workers:

·         Places where cooking is allowed

·         Location of designated smoking areas

·         Proper storage procedures

·         Location of fire safety equipment and proper use of each

·         Operation of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment

·         Exit routes in all parts of the building and location of all exits

·         Shutdown procedures

·         Type and location of fire hazards in the building

·         Where to meet outside

When the fire alarm activates:

·         Leave the building quickly

·         Do not use elevators in a fire

·         Feel a door before you open it

·         Stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch fire

·         If there is smoke, lower your body

·         Never re-enter until given the all clear

Three Things You Can Do to Help Prevent a Fire in Your Home

According to the National Fire Protection Association, house fires claimed the lives of almost 2,700

people in 2015. In that same year, over 360,000 house fires were reported. How do we reduce this statistic and, most importantly, make sure it doesn’t happen to our families? Here are three simple things that you can to help prevent a fire from happening in your home.

Smoke Alarms – If you are building a home, it is required by law that you have hard-wired alarms on each level of your home. If you live in an existing home, it is recommended that you have smoke alarms installed on every level of your home and outside of bedrooms. Not only making sure that you have the correct number of alarms installed, but also checking the smoke alarms functionality twice a month and replacing batteries as needed can help to prevent a fire in your home.

Limit Candle Usage – While it may seem like a small way to prevent a fire, it is important to limit the candle usage in your home for safety purposes. Making sure that you never leave a candle unattended and that when it is lit, the candle is away from flammable items can also help to prevent a house fire from happening to you.

Portable Heater Usage – Space heaters and other types of portable heating units are a common cause of house fires for a variety of reasons. It is important to remember that if you are using one, keep it away from any items that can catch fire and unplugged when not in use. Preventative measures can help to stop a fire before it starts.

If you are looking to go the extra mile in keeping your family safe in case of a house fire, our escape ladders for homes can help. Visit us and shop our entire collection of escape ladders for homes today at ResQLadder.com.

The False Sense of Security Smoke Alarms Can Bring

National Fire Safety Prevention month is almost here. During the month of October, be sure to revisit your family’s fire safety plans and become more educated on related issues. With this being said, many homes tend to solely rely on smoke detectors to be their only form of fire protection. While smoke detectors are a great way to alert your family to danger, they do have some flaws. Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t only rely on smoke alarms for fire protection.

Some detectors rely on a power source while others rely on batteries. Battery powered smoke detectors are only as good as the batteries they are powered with. If you are great about changing the batteries, testing the detector, and putting in high quality batteries then these detectors should work well.  However, remember to replace batteries, test, and don’t skimp on battery quality.

Also, be aware of “false alarms” when it comes to your smoke detectors. Many are used to the smoke alarm going off when kitchen mishaps occur. Be sure you haven’t disabled your alarm because of these mishaps. Also, if you live in a building and fire alarms go off frequently, be sure to treat every instance like a practice run. Emergency or not, you’ll be prepared.

Smoke detectors can save lives in the event of a fire emergency, using only them as fire protection can provide a false sense of security. Be sure to pair your alarms with other safety measures such as emergency plans and portable ladders for fire escape. Check out ResQLadder®.com for more emergency escape ladders and emergency preparedness plans!