“Smoke alarms are such a common presence in our homes that it’s easy to just expect them to work every time,” says CableOrganizer.com product specialist Christina Hansen. “But like many other devices and appliances around the house, smoke detectors require regular cleaning and maintenance to function effectively. And, there are many models on the market offering both smoke and carbon monoxide detection – an often overlooked consideration.”

To ensure the best family fire safety, smoke and carbon monoxide detection possible, CableOrganizer.com offers these tips:

Easy Fire Safety Strategies:

• If you have children in the house, always store candles and matches well out of their reach, either in a locked drawer or on a high shelf.
• Always keep space heaters a minimum of 3 feet away from flammable materials like paper, clothing, bedding and draperies.
• Never leave food that’s being cooked on the stovetop or under the broiler unattended – if you need to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat source.
• Keep a small multi-purpose fire extinguisher (one that’s approved by a testing laboratory) in your home for putting out small fires.
• If you have a fireplace, be sure to have it cleaned by a professional once a year to remove flammable soot, and always keep screen in place to catch flying sparks.
• When grilling outdoors, always use the appropriate type of lighter fluid, and never add more after the fire is lit – this can cause flames to flare up and spread to other objects or areas.

Smoke Alarm Maintenance Musts:

• Keep them clean. Use your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachment to clear way dust and cobwebs. And if the manufacturer’s instructions say that it’s safe to, gently vacuum inside the detector as well.
• Change the batteries once a year. Choose a date that’s easy to remember, like a birthday, anniversary, or the day you switch over to Daylight Saving Time.
• Test your smoke detectors every month. Just press the test button – if the alarm sounds, it works. Want to be extra sure? Light a candle, blow it out, and then hold it below the detector – the trailing smoke should set the alarm off.

Facts to Know About Carbon Monoxide:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) is produced when wood and fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, charcoal, kerosene and gasoline don’t burn completely.
• CO can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted – that’s why its nickname is “the Silent Killer.” Only a carbon monoxide detector can warn you that CO is present.
• CO poisoning often feels like the flu, with symptoms like fatigue, muscle aches, nausea and headache, but can progress to disorientation, elevated heart rate, convulsions, organ damage, and even death.
• Carbon monoxide harms people by blocking oxygen from entering the bloodstream. CO bonds to the hemoglobin in blood, preventing it from doing its job: carrying oxygen throughout your body.
• When you’re asleep, you can’t feel CO symptoms. Make sure that carbon monoxidedetectors are installed in all bedrooms and sleeping areas of your home – they save lives!

Creating an Escape Plan:

Does your family know where to go and what to do if your smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector goes off? If not, NOW is the time to make a plan!

• Walk through your home with your children and point out all possible exits, like doors, windows and fire escapes.
• Sit down together to draw a map of your home, and mark the shortest escape routes from each room.
• Choose someplace safe and familiar outside your home where family members can meet in an emergency, such as a neighbor’s house, a nearby street sign, or a lamp-post.
• Pair young, elderly, or handicapped members of your household with an “escape buddy” who can help them safely leave the house during a fire or any other emergency.
• Hold practice escape drills every few months, both day and night, so that your family is extremely familiar with the procedure should an emergency ever occur.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Many fire departments offer free safety information, so in addition to reviewing the ideas below, ask about ways you can keep your family safe. Then set aside a night to have fun and discuss safety.

Smoke detector check: If you don’t have smokd detectors, purchase them. If you do, determine whether the batteries are working. Make sure that everyone knows where the smoke detectors are located and how they sound.

Carbon Monoxide detectors are recommended for homes with gas-burning appliances. Make sure detectors work and your family knows how they sound.

Home escape plan. Draw a diagram of your home. Talk about reasons you would need to leave your house, such as a fire or gas leak. Have children draw all the ways to safely exit the house.

Outside location. Decide on a meeting place that is a safe distance from your house. Then practice exiting the house from different locations and meeting there.

Electrical problems. Take your family on a home tour. Look for overloaded electrical outlets and cords that run under rugs or show signs of wear. Contact a certified electrician if you locate wiring problems.

Combustible storage. Ensure that combustible material is not stored within three feet of any flame-producting appliance.

Inside location. Talk about reasons – such as an approaching tornado – you would need to find a safe place inside your house. Store blankets and bottle water there. Let family members draw routes on the home diagram from each room and practice meeting at this safe place.

Teach your family and Test your knowledge: Consider providing a Residential Home Fire Safety Course to your family. The Flashpoint curriculum will teach you what to do, what to prevent and what to avoid, as well as:

• Increase families’ fire safety awareness through an effective web-based training program.
• Teach parents, children, and other occupants of residential dwellings how to prevent fires and fire related injuries, and create a fire safe environment.
• Enable families and other occupants to effectively create and use a fire plan.
• Teach individuals to react correctly when a fire occurs.
• Enable proficiency in inspecting available fire safety equipment.
• End results: survival.

Go to www.nifast.org to learn more.

Conclude your family safety night by enjoying a treat to celebrate that you are all together and safe.

The article contains information provided by Ted Collas of Thriving Family Magazine (July/August 2010 edition).

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, a component of the nation’s Emergency Alert System, is comprised of a nationwide network of numerous transmitters directly linked with one of 123 local offices of NOAA’s National Weather Service. The closest office is the Wilmington, Ohio location which broadcast weather warnings that cannot be heard on a simple AM/FM receiver. With Ohio Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 21-27) upon us, plan on adding a NOAA Weather Radio to your home with these important features:

• A special tone that precedes the initial broadcast regarding immediate weather threats to gain the listener’s attention. This feature is especially crucial when severe storms strike at night when most people are sound asleep.
• The units are small and require little space on a nightstand or table. They are especially convenient for vacations and will use the signal from a nearby transmitter.

• A battery back-up that ensures the receiver continues service during a loss of electricity as the warning capabilities of television or the internet will be lost.

• S.A.M.E. (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology that can be programmed to sound only select alerts for specific areas such as Franklin County. This prevents undesired messages and false alarms, especially those outside the local area.
• Many radios allow for customization for the hearing or visually impaired, such as strobe lights, or bed shakers.
• Units that receive the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards signal are available at many electronic retail stores and range in cost from $20 to $100. Look for receivers which carry the Public Alert logo (CEA-2009). Devices carrying the logo meet certain technical standards and come with the features mentioned. The National Weather Service does not manufacture these receivers.

Visit the Township’s website at www.wtwp.com to download your 65-page Emergency Preparedness Guide or stop by our Administration building at 6200 Eiterman Road for your free copy.

Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.