Fire Safety Equipment Your Family Can't Live WIthout

Each home should be equipped with proper fire safety equipment. Though no one wants to think they may have a damaging fire in their home someday, it is always necessary to invest the time and money in being adequately prepared; your home and the lives of your family could be at stake. Here are some suggestions of basic home fire safety equipment that should be owned by every family.

First, the most beneficial piece of fire safety equipment is the smoke detector. At least one should be placed on each floor of the house. Most people place them in hallways (near sleeping areas and stairways), and they need to be kept a few feet down from the ceiling. Be sure to place detectors in your basement and attic as well. Also, don’t forget to test your smoke detectors regularly; you can do this easily by lighting a candle under the detector. If the alarm goes off, the detector is working. Simply fan the smoke away from the alarm to quiet the noise. Also, if your smoke alarm is battery operated, the batteries will need to be changed from time to time. When you hear the detector make a shrill chirping noise, change the batteries as soon as possible…it is all too easy to forget once the batteries die.

The next item each family should own in the way of fire safety equipment is a fire extinguisher. It is important to know that there are different fire extinguishers for different types of fires. In general, there are five different classes of fires: A, B, C, D, and K. When considering what kind of extinguisher to purchase, simply find out what kind of fire each extinguisher treats, and decide what kind is best for your family and home. Most people use a dry powder extinguisher that treats classes A, B, and C. Of course, buying multiple kinds of extinguishers is fine; one can never be too prepared! If you have children, depending on their age, direct them on how to use the extinguisher should they ever need to use it while you are away. Follow the directions on how to trigger the extinguisher, and aim at the base of the fire and guide the extinguisher in a sweeping circular motion.

Other pieces of equipment to consider purchasing are collapsible ladders. These can be easily set up in a matter of seconds, and they are helpful in case you need to escape from an upper level floor. Collapsible ladders can be purchased at almost any hardware or fire equipment supplier, and are relatively inexpensive.

Each home should be equipped with certain fire safety equipment. Though it does cost money, it can often make the difference between keeping your home or losing it to a damaging fire. Hundreds of lives are saved each year because families have purchased fire safety equipment and have prepared fire escape routes. Being prepared is the best form of fire prevention for you and your family.