Home Fire Safety
Fire safety is an important part of home security. There are numerous types of fire security systems, but before you consider installing those, you'll want to make sure you have the basics covered. Here's a short checklist of things you should apply to your home to ensure it is as safe as it can be from fire:
- Don't overload circuits/electrical sockets.
- Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned on a regular basis.
- Install a chimney cap/spark arrester on the top of your chimney.
- Keep matches and lighters where children can't reach them.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen (preferably, one on every floor), and make sure your family members know how to use it.
- Make sure your house numbers are visible from the street.
- Keep flammable items such as curtains away from cooking areas; know how to put out cooking fires.
- If you smoke, put your cigarettes out when you put them down.
- Keep branches trimmed back from the chimney.
- Keep bushes trimmed back from your home.
- Have an emergency plan, including a place to go to in case of a fire, and make sure everybody understands it.
- Put your smoke detectors in central areas, high on walls or ceilings, never near windows, doors, or vents.
- Clean smoke detectors once a year; check their batteries once a month.
Tip for Computer Users:
As an added precaution, if you keep any important documents on your home computer, you may want to consider keeping a backup at the office or somewhere away from home. We all hope the precautions we take will keep fires from happening, but it's better to be safe than sorry. You don't want to lose your 500 page manuscript that was just about ready to go to the publisher!
Source: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Home Security
Further Sources:
Fire Safety: Rural
Fire Prevention Checklist
OSHA Fire Safety
Fire & Safety Directory
Home Fire Safety: The Police Notebook