October 6-12 marks NFPA’s “Fire Prevention Week”

SOMERVILLE, N.J., USA, October 7, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As school children, most of us were exposed to fire drills and fire safety discussions. But as adults, unless there has been a major disaster or we have personally experienced a situation where a fire or another emergency required a quick evacuation from a building, emergency egress issues rarely demand our attention.

But every time a building is entered -- from your own residence to an unfamiliar surrounding -- your thoughts should include how you might get out in case of an emergency.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has designated October 6-12, 2019 as its annual observance of Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme -- “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!” -- encourages everyday citizens to be prepared to escape a structure fire.

“Fire safety should begin at home,” says HouseMaster President and CEO Kathleen Kuhn. “During a fire, it’s important that all occupants can safely get out and emergency personnel can get in as quickly and easily as possible. This means knowing your routes to safety, but also making sure nothing is blocking those routes.”

According to Ready.gov, a small flame can turn into a major fire in 30 seconds. Within minutes, a house can fill with smoke and become engulfed in flames. Homeowners need to be sure they are prepared to either get out quickly and safely and also to ensure first responders can get in.

HouseMaster offers these tips for how to maintain safe exit pathways:

● Keep hallways clear of obstructions

● Do not block or obstruct emergency escape windows and exit doors

● Make sure all family members know how to unlock and open windows and doors

● Test all windows to make sure they can open easily and fully

● Be sure window security bars release from the inside in case of emergency

● Don’t block escape windows from the outside with bushes or other obstructions

● Don’t use areas without adequate egress for sleeping purposes

● If you live or sleep above the ground floor, have a safety ladder or other means to safely escape out a window if ground floor access is blocked

● Develop and practice a fire escape plan with every member of your family

● Make sure your escape plan includes your pets

Additionally, know the hazards of double deadbolt locks that require a key for operation. While these locks can help keep thieves out, they can be a fire safety hazard; without a key, the lock can’t be opened. For this reason, such locks are prohibited in some areas on all primary doors.

Also important is to ensure the building’s smoke alarms are working; it’s advisable to test smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries annually even if the alarm tests successfully. HouseMaster suggests homeowners use a special date such as an anniversary or birthday to also be the date they are reminded to check batteries for smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.

These tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available at housemaster.com.

About HouseMaster:

Founded in 1979 and Headquartered in Somerville, N.J., HouseMaster is the oldest and one of the largest home inspection companies in North America. With more than 320 franchised areas throughout the U.S. and Canada, HouseMaster is the most respected name in home inspections. For 40 years, HouseMaster has built upon a foundation of solid leadership and innovation with a continued focus on delivering the highest quality service experience to their customers and providing HouseMaster franchisees the tools and support necessary to do so. Each HouseMaster franchise is an independently owned and operated business. HouseMaster is a registered trademark of HM Services, LLC.

Bob Spoerl
Bear Icebox Communications Inc.
773-453-2444
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