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Emergency safety procedures can seem overwhelming, but when it comes to an emergency, you can never be too prepared. If you follow the correct fire prevention steps, you can dramatically reduce the chance of a fire in your home. But it is still important to have a fire escape plan in your home.

In an emergency, it can be vital preparedness to get everyone out in a safe and quick manner. Let’s break down the steps to take to prepare a fire escape plan for your household.

Make an Escape Plan Map and Prepare Each Household Member

Draw a map of your home showing all possible exits, including doors and windows. Label them on your map and make sure it’s easy to read. Then, gather your family or members of your household and discuss your fire safety plan. In the event of a fire or emergency, figure out where you will exit. Practice your home fire escape drill to prepare everyone as well.

The National Fire Protection Association says you must check every area in your home:

“Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.”

Escape Plans Should Be Quick and Easy to Read

When you have your map drawn out, identify possible places to install any safety equipment, like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.

If you have children, break it down into easy steps, like where they will go and what to do if they hear the fire alarm and identify a possible fire. For the entire household, decide on a meeting place that is a safe distance from your home. You can indicate this on your map.

According to a survey by the National Fire Protection Association:

One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!

Have the Right Emergency Tools Readily Available

We explain why it’s crucial to have the right supplies available to you:

It is vital that you fight a fire with the right kind of fire extinguisher. Attempting to put out a fire with the wrong type of extinguisher can quickly make a fire more dangerous. To maximize home safety, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a fire extinguisher on every level of your home, including in garages, kitchens, basements and near exits.

It’s a daunting task, but breaking down your household’s emergency plan into easy steps and preparing yourself with the right tools can help save lives.

If you’re interested in learning more fire prevention information and finding the right fire extinguisher for your home, contact Fire-Alert for assistance.

Preventing fires starts with having the right equipment in your workplace. Something that is often overlooked but is a mandatory task is keeping regular maintenance of the fire extinguishers in your workplace. People often check fire alarms but extinguishers can go unnoticed. There are simple steps that can be done at least once a year (if unused) to make sure your fire extinguisher is in good working condition.

Check Your Employer’s Fire Safety Guidelines

As an employer, you must follow a detailed and particular list of criteria. This is to make sure your workplace is properly ready for any fire emergency. Each jurisdiction has a specific Fire Code, and extinguishers must be installed accordingly.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides a useful tip on maintaining a fire extinguisher:

“Keep written records showing maintenance items such as serial number and type of extinguishers, location, inspection date, description of tests, date of next inspection, date of annual servicing, comments and inspector’s signature.”

Make Sure Extinguishers Are Visible and Not Moved Around

Fire extinguishers should be kept somewhere that is visible to employees and easy to access. It’s important to keep it at an appropriate height requirement so that it is accessible to anyone who needs to use it in an emergency.

If an extinguisher, or any safety tool, is moved in the workplace, staff must be notified. If you see an extinguisher that is in a new location, or if you don’t see it in its usual position, notify your supervisor.

Windsor Fire & Rescue Services list where to best keep a fire extinguisher:

“Keep extinguishers in a visible location, high on a wall out of the reach of children, near an exit and away from heat sources. If exposed to heat, the fire extinguisher’s contents may become less effective or cause the extinguisher to lose its charge more quickly. The best location in most situations is just inside a door or entrance, out of the reach of children.”

Inspect Portable Fire Extinguishers Monthly

Fire extinguisher inspections should be performed monthly and perform a full inspection at least once a year. Inspect the hoses and nozzles to ensure they are in good condition. If you see any signs of rot, it may be time to replace your fire extinguisher.

Make sure to also inspect the locking pins and tamper seals to see if they are still in place. Check the pressure gauge to see if the needle is in the green zone. If the needle is not in the green zone, your fire extinguisher requires maintenance and you will need to replace it.

We highlight the safety of fire extinguisher maintenance:

“Functional fire extinguishers are required throughout the premises. It is the most important tool against fire; however, if it is not kept in good working condition it will not be useful in times of need.”

Fire extinguishers can be a vital tool to save lives and property damage from fire. Make sure you or someone in your workplace is properly trained and know your work’s fire safety plan.

If you’re unsure of how to perform monthly inspections or require certification, we offer inspection services for all your fire safety needs.

Having a set fire safety plan when you live in a house is fairly straightforward, once you’ve established a plan of action with your few other occupants. But what about when you live in an apartment building? Fire safety becomes slightly more complicated when there are dozens of others trying to exit the building through the same means, when you’re uninformed about the building’s fire safety plans. We’re going to take you through our fire safety and prevention tips when living in an apartment building, so you have a better idea on what you need to know for your own safety.

Unfortunately, many landlords and/or building owners will not take their tenants through the building’s fire evacuation plan (regardless of the fact that they’re supposed to). This is likely due to the fact that no one ever thinks there’s going to be a fire emergency – which is exactly how fire emergencies tend to occur and escalate.

The National Fire Prevention Association tells us why it’s crucial to first know your building’s fire evacuation plan:

“Make sure that you’re familiar with your building’s evacuation plan, which should illustrate what residents are supposed to do in the event of an emergency. The evacuation plan should be posted in places where all residents can see and review it, and the building management should hold a fire drill with occupants at least once a year. Most states also require that buildings periodically test their fire safety systems as well. Be sure to participate when your building drills take place. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time that it takes for the fire department to arrive.”

Although your smoke alarms should be tested and batteries replaced before you move in, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you check your smoke alarms yourself when you move in, to make sure that you’re protected in the case of a fire emergency.

Lasalle.ca expands on why it’s important to be aware of the status of your smoke alarms:

It’s not uncommon to be unaware fire exits unless they’re pointed out to you specifically, or to accidentally block part of your fire escape route. This is why it’s important to be aware of your exits and make sure they’re actually accessible in the case of an emergency.

Calgary.ca stresses the importance of having accessible fire exits in an apartment building:

“Never lock fire exits or block doorways, halls, or stairways. Fire doors not only provide a way out during a fire, they also slow the spread of fire and smoke. Never prop fire doors open.”

It’s important to have your fire protection equipment periodically inspected by a professional. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges and many other mobile services, designed to keep you safe.

Employees being properly trained on fire safety not only applies to protection once a fire occurs, but is important to prevent accidents from ever occurring. Unfortunately, many office employees are not properly trained when it comes to fire safety, leaving the workplace and everyone in it open to danger. We take you through our fire safety tips for prevention and protection in the workplace, as an important reminder for the next time you’re in the office.

All workplaces should train their employees in an emergency action plan, illustrating what to do in a variety of fire related emergencies. This may include how to respond in the case of a fire, emergency exit locations and rescue and medical procedures. While it’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure that they train their employees in this emergency action plan, the employee must make sure they understand and participate in it.

Occupational Health & Safety Online tells us why it’s important to make sure your employees have been properly trained on safety procedures:

Bringing food to cook in the office is a great way to make sure you’re not spending unnecessary money while at work. Unfortunately, cooking in the office does have its downsides, with cooking related office fires being more common than you would think.

KnowledgeCity.com explains why safety around cooking equipment shouldn’t be forgotten in the workplace:

“Cooking equipment is responsible for nearly a third of all office fires. While it might be tempting to pop into a meeting while your lunch is heating up, you should stay put while your food is cooking. Even leaving microwave popcorn unattended is a no-no—the heat build-up can lead to fire in just a few minutes. Keep all cooking appliances, such as coffee makers and electric kettles, in kitchen spaces only, and off of desks. Unplug them when you’re not using them. And be sure to keep them away from walls and other flammable objects, like stacks of napkins.”

According to an Australian study, less than 50% of workplace building occupants feel confident in how to operate a fire extinguisher, while 3 in 4 Americans have never used a fire extinguisher at all. Regardless on your location, knowing how to use a fire extinguisher is incredibly important in an emergency – and so is knowing when to leave one alone and wait for the fire department.

Toronto.ca explains why you should know how to use a fire extinguisher, as well as knowing when to leave it alone:

“Most workplaces contain portable fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers can only put out small, contained fires, such as a fire in a wastebasket. The extinguisher in your workplace may or may not be suitable for dealing with grease or electrical fires. If you have not been trained in the proper use of portable extinguishers, do not attempt to fight a fire.

Even with proper fire extinguisher training never fight a fire:

if the fire is large or spreading.
if your escape route may be blocked by the spread of fire.
if you are not trained in the correct use of the type of extinguisher or are unsure of the type of fire.”

In order to prevent a fire safety incident from occurring, it’s important to make sure you have the proper equipment and that it’s in working order. We can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

The importance of fire safety is never more obvious than when you have children. Young kids aren’t capable of understanding the dangers of a fire, let alone safely exiting the premises in case of an emergency. We take you through our tips for fire safety when you have babies, toddlers and/or young children in your home, so you can make sure you’re taking every precaution possible.

Do you know for sure if your smoke alarms are working? While the fact that they may not be seems like a scary thought, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Making sure that you have the proper equipment installed is one of the most important fire safety precautions you can take.

Safety.com tells us why it’s vitally important to install and test smoke alarms within your home:

“Three out of five home fire deaths in 2010-2014 occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. And while you can take steps to reduce fire hazards, there’s little that can be done to predict and prevent a random wiring malfunction that could lead to a devastating fire. Smoke alarms serve as a first alert, letting your family know there’s imminent danger and providing a few moments warning for you to enact your fire safety plan.”

While we all want to assume our kitchen appliances are running safely and properly, there’s never a guarantee when it comes to electronics. This is especially true when it comes to electronics involving water, such as what is found in your kitchen. This is why it’s important to keep a watchful eye out for potential problems in your kitchen and throughout your home.

Parents.com expands on why you need to watch your kitchen appliances – just in case:

Having an escape plan is an important step that most families miss. While the assumption is that you’d grab the kids and escape out the front door in the case of an emergency, this may not be possible. While the potential of not being able to do so is a scary thought, it’s better to be prepared and discuss an escape plan with children that are old enough to understand.

The U.S. Fire Administration tells us why it’s important to establish an escape plan that your children understand in, “Keeping kids safe from fire”:

“It is important to have a plan when there are children in your home. Children sometimes need help getting out of the house. They may not know how to escape or what to do unless an adult shows them.

Have a plan for young children who cannot get outside by themselves. You will need to wake babies and very young children and help them get out. In your plan, talk about who will help each child get out safely.
It is important to find two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use.
Choose a meeting place outside your home. Children should know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm and there is no adult around. Help them practice going to the outside meeting place. Teach them to never go back inside a building that is on fire.”

Fire safety is no joke, especially when it comes to protecting your family. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

With the vast majority of us in self isolation, it’s safe to say that we have never spent quite this much time at home – unfortunately making the potential for fire related accidents that much higher. We’re going to take a look at fire safety tips you should not only remember during this time of self isolation, but that you should make sure you’re implementing moving forward.

While some of us have been ordering takeout more than ever before, there are others that have been brushing up on their cooking skills. While this in itself is great, it clearly leaves room for an increased amount of fire related incidents.

Porthope.ca reminds us of the importance of taking care when cooking:

“With COVID-19 restrictions in place, more people are preparing and cooking meals at home. Keep some simple safety tips in mind, such as not wearing loose, flowing clothing while cooking. “With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke. Make sure your smoke alarms are working, stay in the kitchen at all times when you’re cooking, move anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop, and keep kids away from areas where hot foods or liquids are being prepared, like stoves and microwaves.”

It’s safe to say that all of us have increased our laptop use, whether we’re working from home or not. And with so much increased screen time, we may easily be overlooking fire safety precautions that come along with using a laptop.

Winnipeg.ca points out the importance of laptop safety when using a computer, especially for a prolonged period of time:

While it is our every hope that we’re all practising responsible fire safety precautions, accidents can happen. And in the case of those who live in an apartment building, evacuation can present a whole new issue – the potential to violate social distancing guidelines.

Baytoday.ca reports on what North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley has to say on whether social distancing should still apply in this circumstance:

“For residents in apartment buildings that experience a fire alarm; we are reminding residents that evacuate to practise social distancing for the safety of your neighbours and responding emergency personnel. Please do not congregate in the lobby area and exit the building completely.”

Now that you’ve had a chance to think twice about fire safety during COVID-19, it’s important to make sure that your equipment is properly maintained and ready to go in case of an emergency. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your family safe.

A fire can cause serious damage to the business you have worked so hard to build from the ground up – not to mention your employees. We’re going to take you through our fire prevention tips for small businesses, so you can make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected and are able to minimize damage as quickly as possible.

Appointing a dedicated fire prevention/safety officer for your workplace is important. Safety officers are not elected by fellow employees, but are appointed by the business owner, in order to manage occupational health and safety issues in the workplace. In the event of a fire, your health and safety officer is your go-to person for understanding and implementing the necessary procedures.

Rob Starr of Small Business Trends talks more about why appointing a safety officer is a great idea:

No matter the size of the business, it’s important that an evacuation plan is put in place in the event of a fire and that every one of your employees knows what it is. This should be a part of the employee’s basic training when joining the organization and not something to set aside for a later date.

Alexis Writing of Chron.com expands on the idea of a evacuation plan in “Fire Safety Tips for Businesses”:

“Every workplace or business establishment must have an evacuation plan. Keep in mind, however, that even the most perfect plan will be useless if only the person who made it knows about it. Go through the evacuation plan and make sure that every staff member and employee is knowledgeable about what to do.”

Not only is it mandatory to have your fire alarms and fire extinguishers checked and maintained regularly, but it is something you should personally be concerned about. Although it’s unlikely that your business will go up in flames, it is certainly not impossible. And in the unlikely event that it does happen, you do not want to be the one who didn’t get your fire equipment checked, causing your own equipment to go up in flames.

Theselfemployed.com explains why maintaining your fire detection equipment is absolutely necessary in “Important Fire Safety Tips for Small Businesses”.

“Again, while it’s a legal requirement, it’s still something worth bearing in mind and doing more than the minimum toward. Fire alarms should be regularly checked and maintained, with an up-to-date sprinkler system installed at the very minimum. These alarms should also be automatically linked to the emergency services, so there is no delaying their arrival.”

Now that you have a better understanding of fire prevention as a small business, you need to go ahead and make sure that your equipment is properly maintained and ready to go. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

If you believe that there’s any chance you’re going to need to use a fire extinguisher in your lifetime, then you should be properly trained on how to do so. Not only should you understand how to use it and have a knowledge of basic fire fighting techniques, but you need to make sure the right type of fire extinguisher is used on top of it. We’re going to give you a rundown on how to properly use a fire extinguisher, if you find yourself in a workplace or at-home situation where the simple use of a fire extinguisher could make all the difference.

While we all may not have fire extinguishers in our residential home, it is a legal requirement to have at least one in the workplace (depending on the size of the building, how many floors, etc.). Making sure that your employees know how to operate one in the event of an emergency can not only save lives, but it can save your equipment, important files and further valuables from burning into dust. This is why it’s important to teach your employees how to use a fire extinguisher, rather than fumbling around with instructions they’ve never seen before when under pressure.

EHS Insight expands on why this is so important “How to Use a Fire Extinguisher – Safety Steps”:

Did you know that there are classifications of fires and that your fire extinguisher may not be equipped to handle all of them? Well, you do now! If you take a look at your fire extinguisher’s label, it will indicate which classes of fire it is designed to put out. As you can imagine, the majority of household fire extinguishers are multi-purpose, but are only equipped to combat A, B, and C classes.

Rebecca Edwards of Safewise talks us through the classifications:

“The first thing you need to know is the different classifications of fires, and the second that not all fire, you need to understand what types of fires you may have to deal with and make sure your extinguisher can get the job done.

Most household fires fall into one of the following categories:

Class A: These fires are fueled by solid combustibles like wood, paper, and cloth.

Class B: These fires are fueled by flammable liquids such as oil, petroleum, and gasoline.

Class C: These fires are started or fueled by faulty wiring, fuse boxes, and appliances.

Class K: These fires are started or fueled by cooking oils and greases, animal fats, and vegetable fats.”

While it’s unlikely that you’re going to physically practice on a fire extinguisher, it’s important to study the instructions and make sure you understand them, so you can feel confident if the occasion should ever arise where you need to operate one.

The National Safety Council takes us through how to operate a fire extinguisher using the PASS method:

“Pull the pin on the extinguisher.

Aim the hose nozzle low toward the base of the fire.

Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent.

Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base of the flames until extinguished.”

Now that you have a better understanding of how to use a fire extinguisher, you need to make sure yours is properly maintained so it’s ready to go in the event of an emergency. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

Having your fire extinguisher inspected can make the difference in whether or not you can actually use it in the event of a fire – and that’s a huge deal. We’re going to take you through how often you need to be inspecting your fire extinguisher as a business owner, as well as when a professional is required to step in.

When it comes to your business, having your fire extinguisher inspected regularly is not a step you ever want to miss. Although it may seem like the last thing on your list of priorities, you may not realize how critical this is until it’s too late.

iAuditor talks this in “Fire Extinguisher Inspection—A Safety Officer’s Guide”:

“Over 90% of fires in commercial properties are extinguished early on by members of the public using a fire extinguisher. Even a single malfunctioning fire extinguisher can put countless lives at risk. A safety officer’s job is to perform regular fire extinguisher inspections and maintain up to date records to keep buildings and tenants safe. It is critical that a safety officer knows how to efficiently perform a fire extinguisher inspection, is aware of the most common issues identified during an inspection, and knows how to respond accordingly.

Not only should you be having a professional visit your workplace to perform fire extinguisher inspections, but you should be doing them yourself as well – and this should not only occur on a regular basis, but a monthly basis at that.

Safeopedia expands on this question on their website:

“OSHA requires all employers and owners of buildings to conduct a visual inspection of all fire extinguishers at their disposal at least once per month. Monthly inspection is important as it helps ensure that the extinguisher is fully charged and operational; no obstructions are blocking the equipment; no damage has occurred to the equipment, and the device is still in its intended position.”

When it comes down to how often you should be having your fire extinguisher inspected by a professional, this is usually much less often that you should be inspecting it yourself. It is required that fire extinguishers are inspected by a professional at least once per year. And with a mobile fire and safety maintenance service such as Fire-Alert, setting up your inspection is truly as simple as making a quick phone call.

Molly Thompson of Chron.com talks more about the process in “Fire Extinguisher Inspection Tag Requirements”:

Now that you know how often your fire extinguisher needs to be inspected by a professional, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

When it comes down to a fire emergency, fire extinguishers can potentially make the difference between a close call and a fatal accident. So, you can understand why making sure that your fire extinguishers are properly maintained is an absolute must. We’re going to take you through what you need to know about fire extinguisher recharging and whether yours needs to be recharged or not.

Recharging your fire extinguisher means that you’re either refilling it with the proper firefighting agent or even draining the extinguisher completely before refilling it. This can be compared to adding to or changing the oil in your car.

Quick Response Fire Safety expands more on why fire extinguishers need to be maintained just the same way as any other piece of equipment:

While it’s important to have your fire extinguishers professionally inspected once per year, there are certain things you should watch out for during your monthly inspections. Looking out for these signs during regular inspections can make all the difference when it comes to whether your fire extinguisher is fit to use in an emergency.

Online Safety Depot tells us more on what to look for in “Should You Recharge a Fire Extinguisher or Buy a New One?”:

“There are a few indicators for determining if your fire extinguisher needs to be recharged or not. The first thing to look for is the tamper seal. If the tamper seal is broken or missing, then you should get it inspected to ensure that it wasn’t used, even a little. Next, you will want to look at the pressure gauge. If the needle is pointed in the middle of the green zone, then your fire extinguisher is properly pressured. However, if the needle is pointed near or in the red zone, you’ll need to get it recharged as soon as possible.”

You may be surprised to hear that it doesn’t matter whether or not your fire extinguisher has previously been used – it still may need to be recharged. For any reason at all, there may be a chance that your fire extinguisher is faulty or that it has been leaking slowly over time.

Hseblog.com expands more on why your fire extinguisher still needs to be recharged, whether it’s ever been used or not:

“Fire extinguishers need to be recharged periodically throughout their life, even if they haven’t been used. Both the NFPA 10 code standard for portable fire extinguishers and manufacturer’s service guidelines require periodic internal examination and recharging. For the most commonly used stored pressure dry chemical fire extinguishers, this internal examination and recharging are required at six and twelve years from the date of manufacture noted on the extinguisher.”

Now that you know how important it is to make sure your fire protection equipment is properly maintained, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

Preparing a Fire Escape Plan for the Home