Being Ready For A House Fire No Matter What Thanks to Kidde

Over the past year, if you have been reading along with me, you will note that I have been a member of #TeamKidde, acting as a brand ambassador for Kidde promoting home safety. Looking back I knew that I would be a good fit for this experience because of the house fire that we had back in 2013. However, as I started my journey into being an ambassador, little did I know about how much my home needed in regards to the safety items that I now have at the ready.

At the beginning of last year, my home was fitted with new smoke alarms and a few carbon monoxide alarms, because mine were old and there were not enough for the size of the home. The first order of business for me last year was with Kidde 10-year sealed-in battery alarms (if possible). You see, I like peace of mind, and being able to know that I am protected and will get alerts in the case of a fire for many years to come.

Beyond this, our home was missing some fire extinguishers. We had one that we kept under our sink, but again it was very old and needed to be replaced (safety tip: you should replace fire extinguishers after 12 years or after use). One of the things that I was not aware of at the beginning of my time as a Kidde ambassador was that most smoke or CO alarms and fire extinguishers have a shelf life. For many homes, families lacking knowledge like this may find that they have non-working safety equipment, which is not what you want.

I also was reminded about the importance of testing your alarms. You should definitely refer to the user manual for your device for testing intervals, but if you do not have this you should test weekly. Remember, you’re not only testing that the batteries are in working condition, you’re also testing to make sure that the alarm is going to sound when it’s supposed to.

We ended up purchasing a Kidde fire escape ladder for my eldest daughter’s room as she is almost 2.5 stories up and we want her to have peace of mind in being able to get out of the house if her bedroom door is blocked by smoke or fire (safety tip: in case of fire, you should know two ways out of every room).

The final thing that we have worked on and implemented in the past year is an escape plan that includes our route and a family meeting place. This is SO important no matter where you live, as things can get chaotic when it comes to a fire situation. Having an understanding that everyone in the family that can exit the house will attempt to always meet in the same place, and also that everyone knows the ways that they can exit is so important for their overall safety. And, don’t forget to practice the route with your family – during both day and night.