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7 Summer Safety Tips

Although furnaces are turned off and most of us have migrated to outdoor balconies or decks, fire never takes a summer vacation. Follow these seven tips to avoid tragedy.

Summer Safety Checklist:

1. Help children understand how to escape a fire. Teach them what smoke and CO alarms sound like, and prepare an Escape Plan that sets out two routes from every room in your home and identifies an outside meeting place. Then PRACTICE IT!

2. Never take down a smoke alarm or remove batteries. To deal with false alarms caused by cooking or steam, install alarms that have a “Hush” button that lets you silence false alarms temporarily while you clear the air.

3. Install dual-sensor smoke alarms that combine both Ionization and Photoelectric technologies.

4. Alarms wear out! Whether they are battery operated OR hardwired right into your home's electrical system, you must replace ALL smoke alarms over 10 years old and CO alarms over 5-7 years old.

5. Every month, push the “Test” button and lightly vacuum the face of each alarm to remove dust and other obstructions. Change your batteries every time you change the clocks ahead or back.

6. Dangerous CO from your fireplace, range, or other gas-fueled appliances needs to vent outdoors. Ensure debris and outdoor fixtures do not clog or obstruct the vents.

7. Never leave burning candles unattended, and, be sure to complete a thorough barbecue check-up prior to the grilling season.

Check back next week for family safety tips at the pool!