My OperaFire safety video Getting Your Home Fire Alarms
Thursday, August 5, 2010 4:08:26 AM
When you protect a house from fire, you have to think of all of the different options of fire alarms. Many houses are under-protected and, funnily enough, some houses can be over-protected. Some systems are simply better for home life than others and you must take all of these into account.
Getting a dog is a great place to start. Due to the animal's loyalty to you and its ability to be woken up very easily--and to wake YOU up easily--a dog is a great sensor. They can often smell smoke just as a fire is starting and rouse you in order that you put it out before damage happens. Dogs are not the last word on the matter, but merely a good supplement to an alarm system.
If you have a dog, that is great. If not, you need even more security. Remember, too, that a fire might spread too fast for you to stop at its beginning. A dog is only an alert; it cannot get or give you much other help. You must have an automatic system that calls the fire department for you.
That said, you do not want a fire system with a hair trigger. The fire department will be severely annoyed if every time you lit up your fireplace or cooked a meal they were called out. Modern fire alarms have certain degrees of smoke or heat that need to be reached before the fire department is alerted. Some even have motion sensors for flames themselves. Make sure you have a good one.
Sprinkler systems are all wrong for a house. There is much that can be damaged by water, almost more so than fire. Your furniture can all be ruined and you may have to throw out your clothes, books, and rip up any carpeting if a sprinkler system goes off.
Alarms that you have to pull in order for the department to be contacted are pointless. You can only pull the alarm if you know there is a fire in the first place. This is once again a system that is wrong for a home. Get automatic alarms with both light and sound and put them in every major room. Do not take out the batteries or, if the batteries are dying, replace them right away.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy and in an area where it would easily accessible and hard to block in the event of a fire. Know how to use it and make sure it is still good, at least once per year. This means taking it outside and shooting a very short spurt to make sure it is usable. Make certain not to use it all up! A single, brief spray will do.
Jason Williams is an expert in home alarms. If you would like more information about varieties of fire alarms or are searching for a reputable security company please visit http://www.adt.co.ukfire safety video: fire safety training
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