Keep your home safe for the holidays

The holiday season is one of the most wonderful times of the year, but did you know it’s also one of the most dangerous? In fact, household fires occur more often during the holidays than any other time of the year. So here are some holiday safety tips from our friends at Omnishield.

Safety Tip #1 –  They are the centerpiece of holiday celebrations (trees, wreathes, garland), but buyer beware! If purchasing a real tree, make sure that it has fresh, green needles that aren’t easily broken. Water regularly to keep it moist. If going artificial, make sure it’s flame retardant. Also check to make sure light strings and other holiday decorations are in good condition. Do not use anything with frayed electrical cords and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Safety Tip #2 – Candle Safety
Candles looks beautiful and festive on the table or mantel, but they can be a fire hazard! Watch candles closely around children as they may want to touch the flame or even blow them out and splatter wax which can be very hot and burn them.  Consider using a wick snuffer or tweezers to extinguish candles.  Just dip the snuffer/tweezer down into the wax just beneath the surface and gently draw it up pinching the wick until the flame is extinguished.  Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed.

Safety Tip #3 – Kitchen Safety
Keep an eye on what you are cooking! Cooking is the leading cause of fires and the holidays are especially dangerous, because we’re entertaining and cooking even more! And it’s not just deep fried turkeys. Make sure to keep anything that can catch on fire away from your stove top. And never leave anything unattended! Plus even if you have a fire extinguisher, learn the ins and outs of putting  out fires. Generally speaking you should use a non-glass lid or baking sheet (for stove-top fires), use salt or baking soda (for oven fires) and use a non-water based fire extinguisher for stove-top or oven fires.

Safety Tip #4 – Teach Children Safety
A roaring fire or glowing candles can add to the holiday atmosphere… but can also peak your children’s curiosity. Think about what most kids do every year ….blow out birthday candles, so candles can be fascinating to them.  Teach them about the dangers of fire and help them understand the consequences of playing with matches or lighters!

Safety Tip #5 – Be Prepared
Make sure you have smoke alarms. Test them and replace the batteries.  Smart technology offers a better solution with multiple sensors and alerts for smoke, heat, CO, flood and freeze. One of the newest, high-tech networks available is the OmniShield. It’s a smart product which is interconnected with an app that gives you the ability to see danger inside your home, anytime and anywhere. It alerts you with low frequency speakers, bed shakers, LED icons as well as emails and text. Plus it has a 20 year battery life… so you no longer have to worry about replacing the batteries or wake up to that annoying chirping noise in the middle of the night.  http://www.homesafenetwork.com/  Chris Roberts is the President of the OmniShield team and is a President’s Council Member of the National Association of State Fire Marshals. With over 25 years’ experience he also serves on the NFPA 720 Committee on Carbon Monoxide.