The new year is upon us and this is the time when many of us resolve to make improvements in our lives. Most often those improvements are focused on our health, but we hope you will also consider focusing on fire safety and injury prevention.
Check smoke alarms to be sure they work
Make sure your smoke alarms are working! The National Fire Protection Association has found that three out of five home fire deaths are a result from fires in properties that did not have working smoke alarms. Remember to test your smoke alarms once a month. Change the batteries at least once a year. Smoke alarms also have a shelf-life and need to be replaced every 10 years.
Never leave cooking food unattended on the stove
Cooking is one of the main causes of home fires year after year. Never leave cooking food unattended. Turn the handles of pots and pans on stoves inward to avoid accidents, and be sure to make sure your sleeves (or other loose fitting clothing) are out of the way while cooking.
Check electrical cords
How often do you check your cords? Make sure they have room to breathe and that they aren’t being pinched under or behind furniture. When you are done using things like the toaster, coffee pot, charger etc., unplug them. Phantom load is the energy used by appliances and electronics when they are turned off but still plugged in to a power outlet. According to Energy Star, the average home contains 40 products constantly drawing power. Individually, the electricity flowing to a TV that’s been turned off or a coffeemaker programmed to brew in the morning is extremely small, but together, these sleeping devices may account for as much as 10 percent of household energy use.
In case of fire, be sure everyone knows escape plan in advance
It’s important to make sure everyone in the home knows what to do in case of a fire. Make a fire escape plan with your family and practice that plan at least twice a year. Remember to teach your kids basic fire safety tips, like staying as low to the ground as possible, feeling the door with the back of their hand to see if it’s hot, and knowing at least two ways out of every room in case of an emergency.
Keep hands free while driving
And lastly, please be safe behind the wheel. Remember that the law states that you must be hands free in the car. If you must make/answer a call, use a Bluetooth. Silence your phone so that you aren’t tempted to read any text messages. The number of accidents with injuries in Naperville is increasing, and we need to change that.
We hope that you find these tips helpful and that you will incorporate them into your 2018 resolutions. From all of us at the Naperville Fire Department, we wish you and yours a safe and happy New Year!
