Wouldn’t it be nice if we could eliminate the need to worry about fire in the home? To have fire-proof walls and floors would be great! But in order to completely eliminate the risk, you would have to make most of your furniture out of steel, rock and glass. Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants probably has the most fire-proof house in the world! However, for you people who don’t live under a rock, go ahead and take some time to prepare your home in case of a fire. If you have a two story house, consider the danger of a fire in the staircase leaving your loved ones trapped upstairs. Now, the teenagers would probably be happy to jump off the roof into a big trampoline, but somehow the woman of the house probably wouldn’t enjoy that. Just to be safe, purchase a fire ladder and store it in an easily accessible place. The back of the garage behind a bunch of stuff does not count. If a fire does happen, you need to know about it as quickly as possible.
The first step to this is to install fire alarms in all of the main rooms (bedrooms, kitchen, living room) and hallways. If you purchased your alarms more than 10 years ago, you should probably replace them. Hopefully, this alarm will allow you to find and smother any fire before it becomes too large. It is also wise to place at least 1 carbon monoxide detector on your home, preferably close to the bedrooms. This will pick up any fumes from the furnace, vehicles or any other appliance which may endanger your home. If snuffing the fire out is not an option, a fire extinguisher would come in handy. BUT THINK BEFORE YOU BUY! Don’t get a fire extinguisher unless you plan to take the time to use it,
regularly replace it, and understand that you always need to call 911 BEFORE trying to be a hero. And if you must be a hero, only use the extinguisher to take small fires.
Don’t go after a grizzly bear with a bow and arrow. Bad things will happen. Make a simple fire escape plan for your home. Be sure to go over it with your children, especially the part about staying OUT of the house once you get out, and learning how to stop, drop and roll. Last, but certainly not least, check your homeowners insurance to ensure that your fire coverage is adequate. Losing your valuables to a fire is devastating, and finding out that you don’t have sufficient coverage to replace everything is even worse. If you have any questions or concerns about your current coverage, Elzey Insurance is ready to answer them. Whether you are insured with us or not, we want to make sure that you have the insurance that is right for you at the lowest possible price! To request a free quote, call us at 281-998-2500 or fill out our Request A Quote form on our Facebook page!
Happy new year, and stay fire free!