The Two most essential tools for fire safety

The ad depicts a completely avoidable tragedy. Don't let a dead or missing battery be the reason you lose your house to a fire. Or, worse yet, don't get caught without a smoke detector in the first place.

Having fresh batteries in the smoke detectors is critical for the safety of your home and for your peace of mind. Operating smoke detectors have proven to save lives and property to the tune of millions of dollars year after year.

The most important test for home fire safety is testing the batteries in your smoke detectors. In fact, you should do it once a month - every month. To help you remember, you might test the alarm when you pay the phone bill. The test is simple and easy.

Press the button on the face of the smoke detector (most often it's bright red). Hear the high-pitched screaming sound that just about drives you mad? That is the sound of safety. Not only does it announce the presence of a fire, but it alerts you in time to get your family out of the house. After evacuation, depending on the nature of the fire, you might be able to deal with the fire with your home fire extinguisher. If yours needs recharging, or if you don't have one, please use this as a reminder to keep a charged fire extinguisher on hand at all times.

If you don't have a smoke detector, whatever you have planned today will probably take you near a store so you can buy one right away, or call us to help you. They are inexpensive and can be installed as easily as hanging a picture.

Have a minimum of one detector per floor and place them in a hallway near the bedrooms. Fires often start at night, so you will need to be warned in time in order to make your way out of a smoky house.

Change the battery in your smoke detector when you change your clocks in October and April for Day Light Savings Time (twice a year). If you do not remember the last time you changed the battery - DO IT NOW!!

It's also critical to have fire extinguishers accessible in your home at a moment's notice. For safety's sake, have at least one per floor. Since the kitchen is a common source of fires, be sure to have an extinguisher there, but locate it away from the stove.

Fires don't make appointments, and most fires start small. If you can catch it early, you can save yourself unthinkable troubles.