Fire Safety Measures for Your Home For Sale Near Fort Sam Houston
Since October is “Fire Safety Month,” it would be the best time for military homeowners to plan for fire safety measures for their home for sale near Fort Sam Houston.
Aside from keeping your family and the future occupants of the homesafe, having fire safety measures in your home will also give you peace of mind that your family will know what to do in case of an emergency.
Here are a few fire safety tips for your home for sale near Fort Sam Houston:
1. Check All Smoke Detectors.
Smoke detectors usually fall into the “out of sight, out of mind” category, but it is one item that you need to ensure is working properly at all times since you will never know when they could actually save our life by alerting your family of potential danger. Test each unit properly and replace batteries if needed. If you do not have it yet, purchase a fire alarm with an interconnected smoke detecting system that will activate all devices once one unit detects smoke.
2. Buy a Fire Extinguisher.
Place a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, since 42% of all fires in homes originate from the kitchen, according the National Fire Protection Association. Make sure to place the fire extinguisher in a place that can be easily accessed in you home for sale near Fort Sam Houston or under the sink. Take note, however that not all fire extinguishers are intended for the same use, so research on which extinguisher is appropriate to use for each area of your home for sale near Fort Sam Houston.
If you do not know how to use a fire extinguisher, consider buying an extra unit to practice on. The acronym to remember is PASS: Pull the pin, Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, Squeeze the trigger, Sweep side to side.
Extinguishers can last from 5-15 years, so it will be a good idea to write the date of purchase on the tag attached to the fire extinguisher for future reference in case you will include the extinguisher in your home for sale near Fort Sam Houston.
Check the pressure gauge of the extinguisher to make sure it has adequate pressure. If the pressure has dropped, or if the unit is dented, rusty, or has a cracked nozzle, replace it immediately.
3. Plan Escape Routes.
It is important for military families to plan new escape routes for every PCS move. Establish a designated meeting place for every home. Draw out the floor plan and mark at least 2 escape routes, as it may be easy to forget the plan or confuse it with the plan for the previous home.
Discuss with your family and especially the children that they should not stop to get any items in case a fire has started. Demonstrate how to exit by keeping low and covering your mouth. Advise your family to test door handles for heat before opening them.
3. Buy Tools For Evacuation
A collapsible ladder can be used to evacuate rooms in the upper floors in multi-story homes. Conduct regular checks and maintenance on these equipment. A great time to do this is when you change batteries in your smoke detectors.
Check if windows are easy to open and close and are fully functional.
4. Fire Drills.
Fire drills should not only be done in schools but you and your family should also perform regular fire drills. Do the fire drills at different times of the day to see how your family reacts and the potential dangerous mistakes they could make. Practice doing a fire drill at night so they know how to exit the home in the dark. Evaluate the drill afterwards and ask if everyone reacted in a timely manner and follow the designated routes and meeting place.
No one would ever want to believe that their home could ever be on fire, but the fact is no one is free from this potential hazard. October is the best time to prepare for this since it is fire hazard month. Take the time to plan, prepare, and practice now and protect not just your home for sale near Fort Sam Houston, but also your most important investment, your family.
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