This week, October 9-15, 2016, is National Fire Prevention Week. House fires occur more often in the upcoming months than in any other months. This is generally due to the holidays and having more cooking going on and having decorations plugged in.

Now is a good time to check your fire extinguishers and make sure they are still good to go. Most newer fire extinguishers will have a pressure gauge on them. If the needle is in the green area, the extinguisher is still okay to use. If it is not in the green area, consider having the extinguisher replaced or serviced by a professional.

Speaking of fire extinguishers, the best place to have one is obviously in your kitchen. Experts recommend that the extinguisher be in clear and plain view and accessible in the event of a fire. This means, please do not put it in a cabinet or on top of the fridge behind a bunch of stuff. Experts also say the best place to put it is not near the stove. In the event of a fire, you may have to reach through the flames to grab the extinguisher if it is too close to the stove. Everyone in your household should also know where the extinguisher is, when to use it, and how to use it. This should be part of your household Emergency Action Plan.
This is also a good time to check your smoke detectors. Before we do that though, let's talk placement of smoke detectors. There should be at least one on every level of your home. And from there, one in each bedroom. I would not recommend putting on in the kitchen simply because cooking in there may set the smoke detector off. If it is constantly going off, that tends to lead to people disconnecting them or pulling the battery which is a huge safety risk. For the same reason, I would not recommend putting a smoke detector close to a heating or cooling vent.

I generally, at least once per month, check that the smoke detector is still functioning by holding down the test button on it and wait for it to make that obnoxious noise that it makes. In terms of changing the battery in a smoke alarm, every six months is usually the recommendation. The easiest way for me to remember it is when daylight savings time starts and ends. I know, I know, you just put new batteries in them and they are supposed to be good for 5-10 years. I would recommend reading the guidelines about your smoke detector to see what the manufacturer recommends. One thing to remember though is if that smoke detector starts chirping, it is definitely time to change the battery in it. It is trying to warn you!

My last Fire Prevention Week reminder is that smoke detectors do not last forever. In general, alarms should be replaced every 10 years. But when did they get installed? I know. I installed new smoke detectors in 2013 when I bought my house so the inside of the battery compartment says "replace 2023."