If your home has no or inadequate smoke and heat detectors, you should prepare for the holidays and cold months ahead. According to a report by ABC News, between December 23 and New Year’s Day, house fires and related deaths spike. From their report:
According to FEMA, fire deaths have been down 2 percent in the past five years, but deaths from accidental fires have gone up 18 percent. Cooking fires are up 16 percent.
Smoke and Heat Detectors Essential
Tom Chapin, vice president of corporate research for Underwriters Lab, urges homeowners to be prepared:
But the real lifesaver in a fire, said Chapin, is awareness. A smoke detector with working batteries is likely the best bet.
NBC affiliate WTHR did a very interesting experiment with smoke alarms and found that most store-bought models are ineffective. Useless alarms can combine with holiday accidents to destroy and kill. This is why Arkansas Security only carries top-grade smoke and heat detectors, for maximum safety.
. . . weakened floor beams cause floors to cave in and are among the leading cause of death among firefighters.
With a high-tech smoke/heat detector, accidental fires can be extinguished before becoming infernos. If a fire is allowed to grow and engulf a house, family and firefighter lives are at risk.
