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

July 22, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

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.

Find out more about what Kidde can offer to keep you and your family safe!

All of my previous Kidde brand ambassador posts can be found here:

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Say Thank You To A Local Firefighter!

February 25, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I was talking to a local firefighter the other day about what it is like to be a firefighter and what some of his wishes were for people like me when it came to making my own home safer for my own family and for them.

I was not surprised to find that first and pretty much the main thing that they shared was that he wished that all families would take the time twice a year to check their smoke alarms and replace the batteries. He told me that there have been many fires in the past that he has been at where people are injured or even killed because their smoke alarms were not working properly. He just shook his head, dejected as he related this to me, as he knew that this did not have to happen.

Checking your smoke alarm is something that is simple and all of us as parents can quickly do. You should not only check the batteries, but also replace any alarms that are more than 10 years old. There are some amazing smoke alarms, the Worry-Free line from Kidde, that feature 10-year sealed batteries, which means that you never have to change the batteries for the life of the smoke alarm.

I asked the firefighter why this was important. Smoke alarms are one of the best ways to provide early warning of a fire, so when they are working properly, a family can safely get out of the house. He told me that when he knows that the residents of the home are no longer inside and are safe, the fire department can focus on fighting the fire, and many times they may not even have to enter all parts of the home – especially if areas might be unsafe for himself and his fellow firefighters.

The firefighter that I talked to is definitely a local hero in my books. He puts his life at risk for me and for everyone in our community. Did you know that 87 percent of America’s 33,000 fire departments are either fully or partially staffed by volunteers – like the local firefighter that I talked to? These men and women act as the first line of defense in an emergency, particularly in rural communities. Yet, the number of volunteer firefighters is steadily declining.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter yourself, talk to your local fire department.

Kidde recently launched Step Up and Stand Out, a national campaign to help recruit volunteer firefighters and recognize existing volunteers. Part of the campaign involves a contest in which local communities can nominate a volunteer – firefighter or support volunteer – who has gone above and beyond to serve their community. Public online voting will determine the top five finalists, and ultimately, the grand prize winner, who will be announced at Firehouse Expo in Nashville later this year, and receive a $1,000 training grant and more. Visit www.firehouse.com/vf for more information on the campaign, including how to nominate someone in your community:

While checking your smoke alarms is critical, there are additional steps that you can make sure that your home is safe and ready in the case of a fire. While I know that I have shared some other ideas with you in the past, I found another great resource from Kidde that today I wanted to share with you that provides even more information: Kidde Simple Steps to Safety

Do you want to learn more about the great people that are safeguarding our homes and our lives? Check out the following organizations. These websites offer a ton of great information that you will want to explore!

National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA): The Fire Service

International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS)

Make sure to say thank you to your local firefighters and consider nominating a local volunteer for the Step Up Stand Out program today.

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Burn Prevention & Survivor Support – Start Now!

December 26, 2015 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

As many of you know, I have been a brand ambassador for Kidde team for the past year. As part of #TeamKidde, I’ve been sharing great fire and carbon monoxide safety tips and resources to help make your home and your family safer. You also know that this past year, I launched the Dad Spotlight podcast.

This week on the Dad Spotlight podcast, we partnered with Kidde to bring you a great interview with Amy Acton, Executive Director of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors to talk about burn prevention and burn survivor support.

If you don’t know about this great organization, let me share a bit about them!

About the Phoenix Society

The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering anyone affected by a burn injury through peer support, education and advocacy.

Each year, 40,000 people are hospitalized with burn injuries. The Phoenix Society is committed to letting burn survivors know that they are not alone. Their community of burn survivors, their loved ones, health professionals and firefighters help each person involved get back to living their life.

About the Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery® (SOAR®) program

Started in 2003 with funding from Kidde, the organization’s Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery® (SOAR®) program is currently in 64 hospitals and burn centers, connecting those recently injured with burn survivors and family members who can support their recovery. In 2014, the Phoenix Society partnered with the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to develop a version of SOAR for burn-injured firefighters. Kidde is the inaugural sponsor of the program.

So take a listen, I know you will learn a ton!

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RemoteLync Camera by Kidde = Ultimate Family Safety!

December 9, 2015 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

RemoteLync^TMCamera by Kidde = Ultimate Family Safety!

Over the last few weeks I have been trying out the brand new RemoteLync ^TM Camera from Kidde. I was very excited about trying this out as I had been using the RemoteLync ^TM Monitor for some time and love the ability to have the reliability of knowing that something is watching over my home even when I cannot.

With the RemoteLync ^TM Camera, you can take the RemoteLync system to the next level. Its magnetic base enables the camera to be easily installed nearly anywhere – homeowners aren’t limited by proximity to an electrical outlet – and the camera will adjust to almost any angle.

The New RemoteLync Camera

I first tried mine out in my living room, and I ended up keeping this there as I loved how well it worked and the images I received. The camera was easy to use and once you have the RemoteLync app you can easily connect this camera too.

The nice thing with the RemoteLync Camera was that it immediately records video upon sensing motion, and sends you an alert via a free app on your mobile devices. When I connected this, I could set the pet motion sensitivity setting, which was very necessary as I have three cats.

Once you activate the camera and start getting images you can request video clips from five to 30 seconds on demand. The video clips will be available in the app for 12 hours at no charge; during that time users can download directly to a smart device or the cloud, and/or share via social media.

Long-term clip storage in the app is available at a minimal cost as well which was great!

The RemoteLync Camera is now available online and in stores through the Home Depot and ShopKidde.com. You can find more information on the Kidde website here: https://remotelync.kidde.com/ . New videos about the product are also available on Kidde’s YouTube channel.

In the few weeks since I have started using this I have been doing additional research on the RemoteLync camera and found some very awesome points that I wanted to share with you:

Installs easily, without cords — Self-contained system runs on an existing Wi-Fi network, completely wire-free, mounts magnetically to an easy-to-install base
and requires no additional hardware. No hammers, drills, extra routers, outlets or hubs needed.
Event management – Provides instant notifications with free iOS and Android app or through email. Users can invite an unlimited number of trusted contacts to
receive notifications and help monitor a location.
Geo-arming – Automatically arm/disarm camera when homeowners leave and return to the location using an intelligent geo-fence.
On demand video – Easily request video clips up to 30 seconds anytime – the camera even records at night with bright LED lights.
Long-lasting rechargeable battery – Lasts up to three months on a single charge with typical usage.
Mounts magnetically to the base – Install nearly anywhere; once mounted the camera will pivot and point in any direction.
Notification for smoke and carbon monoxide – One app manages both the camera and RemoteLync Monitor that listens for existing UL-listed smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Choose to record video if the monitor sends an alert that a smoke or CO alarm is sounding.
The RemoteLync Camera costs $189 and is available at select The Home Depot store locations and various online retailers.

For more information visit kidde.com or follow @KiddeSafety on Twitter.

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5 Things To Prepare Your Family For a House Fire

October 4, 2015 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

I have talked a lot about the house fire that I have had in February 2013, as well as the importance of safety for all of your homes, too. This is why I am sharing five things that I am doing that I hope has prepared my family well during Fire Prevention Week, which is October 4-10, 2015.

Now, you might ask, “How are you practicing fire safety, Chris?”

With help from Kidde, I would have to say that there are five things that I am doing that I hope has prepared my family well. Let me tell you about each of them!

Smoke Alarms – We have smoke alarms installed on every level of our home and near sleeping areas. We test these monthly and my kids know what the alarms sound like. We also just recently replaced all of the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in our home with new Kidde 10-year battery alarms as we learned that you need to do this every 10 years and we were way off! If you still need to find smoke alarms for your home, or you don’t know which ones to get, check out this
Fire Extinguisher – We have a fire extinguisher on every level of our house and the kids know where it is and how to use it. Hopefully we will never have to use it, but it is important that we have them and that we are ready. I also try and remember to check the gauge regularly to make sure that they continue to hold a full charge. When I was looking into the replacement of our smoke alarms, I also learned that fire extinguishers need to be replaced every 12 years, so make sure you have a date on them so you know when to replace them for your own family! If you do not know how to use a fire extinguisher, follow the following steps from Kidde:

Stand 5 feet away from the fire and follow the four-step PASS procedure recommended by the National Fire Protection Association:

P – Pull the pin and hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you.
A – Aim low at the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly to discharge the extinguishing agent. (When the agent first hits the fire, the fire may briefly flare up. This should be expected.
S – Sweep the nozzle from side to side, moving carefully toward the fire. Keep the extinguisher aimed at the base of the fire.

Fire Escape Plan – Before our house fire, we did not have a fire escape plan. That all changed after the fire. I realized quickly that our kids would not have known where to meet or where the alternate exits were, so it was important for J-Mom and I to sit down with the kids and walk them through our own family plan. We followed the great tips below when it came to the plan that we now have in our home and so can you!

Practice regularly, both day and night.
Know 2 ways out of every room.
Know who will assist children and those with mobility/health issues.
Use this grid to map out your escape plan route

Escape Ladders – Do you have an in your home? I do! This was especially important for my oldest as her room is two stories up from the ground, and if she was boxed in, I want to know that she has another escape route that is safe.

Take steps to make my home as fire safe as possible, and educate my family about the important fire safety actions.
Check my smoke alarms and replace all units that are 10 or more years old. If I can’t recall their age, I’ll take the safe step to replace them with units that include long-life, sealed-in batteries.
Install smoke alarms on every level of my home and in every room, including inside and outside of bedrooms, in hallways, and in living in kitchen areas.
Test my smoke alarms weekly, and replace the batteries twice a year.
Create and regularly practice a fire escape plan with my family.

My family has taken the pledge and yours can too! Sign up today!

Fire safety in your home starts with you, and as you can see there are many steps you can take that are easy to follow and easy to implement. Please take these steps to safeguard yourself and your family during Fire Prevention Week!

Find out more about Kidde through the following links:

Website – kidde.com
Facebook – facebook.com/kidde,
Twitter – @kiddesafety
Instagram – @kiddefiresafety

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It’s National Safety Month Which Means It’s Time To Upgrade Your Home!

June 1, 2015 by dadofdivas 2 Comments

As I told you earlier in April, I joined #TeamKidde in March. As someone who has been affected by fire in the past, I know first hand the importance of having a plan in place for fire safety and having a home that is equipped and functional so that no matter what happens you are ready to react.

With that being said and seeing that it is National Safety Month, I reached out to Kidde to talk to them about upgrading my home’s fire safety equipment.” As a part of #TeamKidde, I have learned a lot and I have been sharing some of my learning on Twitter and hope that you have been following along. One of the things that I learned early on that I did not know is that smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.

Our home is almost 20 years old and I do not believe that any of our smoke alarms have ever been replaced. Let’s not even talk about the lack of in our home. Needless to say, our home was greatly lacking in its’ preparedness for a fire and for warning us if there was a CO emergency.

So my friends at Kidde sent me a mixture of Worry-Free hard-wired smoke alarms as well as Worry-Free combination for National Safety Month and make it a place that was safer for my whole family.

Now, of course, I had to find time to do this and I assumed that it would take me half the day to accomplish the task. However, when I did find a Saturday, I found that I was able to complete the task of changing out 8 existing smoke alarms with new ones in only about an hour – wiring and all – not too shabby for me!

I came to find that the installation of these new alarms was quite simple. When working with electricity, you should always turn off the power first as to not get a little jolt. Once this is done though it is a simple task of removing the old and hooking in the new and then testing the alarms themselves. Watch out though, as these new alarms are loud. Personally though, I loved the voice feature of the Worry-Free smoke alarms, as they were very cool and I could see this helping dramatically in a fire situation where you might have smoke filling the home!

On top of the smoke alarms Kidde has just released a great new product called Monitor that I am very excited about. This new remote notification device is small, inconspicuous, but really packs a punch. RemoteLync by Kidde provides peace of mind when you’re away from home. The device listens for the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed in your home, and if any of your alarms sound while you are away, it will alert you via your mobile device of the potential issue.

This is great for us, especially with some summer trips that we have planned and now that I have both new smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for my home, I know that my home is covered! RemoteLync was simple to install in my home and on my mobile device and the alerts really work too!

So this June, celebrate National Safety Month to upgrade your own home. Check your alarms and determine what you may need to do to better prepare you and your family for an emergency that may arise in the future!

To help you with that, below are a few resources that I wanted to share with you!

• Kidde’s Simple Steps to Safety page

• Kidde “Share Your Story” YouTube playlist

• SafeKids: Home Safety

• SafeKids: Fire Safety

• National Safety Council: National Safety Month

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Kidde Has Been Keeping Families Safe For Years & Now I’m A Part of #TeamKidde

April 16, 2015 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Recently, I was asked to be a part of the 2015-2016 Kidde Brand Ambassador Council and I could not be happier to be a part of this great team. I say this for a few reasons. First, I have been familiar with Kidde Fire Safety for some time and have been very impressed with their product line, but also what they stand for and what they do to give back and support great causes. Second, I have a personal interest in this. You may remember that I severely burned my hand back on the day before Valentine’s Day 2013, ending up in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital for a number of days. In those days, I learned so much about burns and about how severe home fires can be. I also learned about how preventable they can be, too, if only people are informed and proactive (here are five simple steps to safety).

All of this being said, I was pleased to be asked to be a part of #TeamKidde, which includes the following blogs:

Days of a Domestic Dad (returning ambassador)

Resourceful Mommy (returning ambassador)

Selfish Mom (returning ambassador)

Love that Max

Earlier in March, the Kidde brand ambassadors came together in Washington DC to get to know each other and learn a ton about Kidde and Kidde’s community partners. I was the unfortunate member of the team that could not attend in person. I had broken my ankle back in December and recently found that the ankle was not healing and thus I had to have surgery on the ankle. That being said my doctor/surgeon stated that there would be no flying within two weeks after the surgery, so I was grounded, and I was bummed!

The great people at Kidde though bent over backward to try and connect me to some of the action. I joined the team on Day one for the afternoon and learned a lot about Kidde’s products and virtually met some of the non-profit partners, including National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Safe Kids. Both of these organizations were remarkable and really provide support to so many.

I learned myself that the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation does an amazing job at recognizing fallen firefighters. This is so important as these individuals sacrificed so much for others, I believe that they need to be recognized and remembered!
In regards to Safe Kids, I was not aware of a lot of the efforts that they were making nationally to create awareness and change in regards to safety for kids in general. Their website is strewn with amazing resources, videos and more that will help parents with kids of all ages and they are covering a broad spectrum of safety topics too. If you have never checked out this great organization, you should today!

I missed out on meeting representatives from the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors but I was already aware of this amazing organization from my own interaction with them after my burn experience. The Phoenix Society provides so much support for burn victims and their families. One of the programs I was most impressed with was the Phoenix SOAR®program. The Phoenix SOAR® program (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery®) meets many burn victims as they begin the journey of the recovery. The purpose of the program is simple yet powerful: that no survivor of a burn injury should feel alone as they make this journey. Personally I can tell you that you can feel alone and different when you and your body are changed by burns and having a program like this is powerful and important! I was so happy that my fellow Kidde Team members were visiting a burn unit themselves as it is very powerful and something that you will never forget; I know I won’t.

While I was not able to be at the Kidde Safety Summit, I will definitely be sharing more with you about fire safety this year. We all can and should learn more and take steps to teach our kids too about fire safety, as, especially in my home state of Michigan, we need to make changes. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Michigan has the second most home fire fatalities in 2015, trailing only New York, and I for one, hope to be one part of changing this!

After learning more about Kidde in the parts of the Safety Summit that I was able to attend, I am truly looking forward to raising awareness about fire safety and making changes in my own home and lifestyle, but also am hoping to be able to encourage many of you, my readers, to do the same.

I encourage you to find out more about Kidde through their Social Networks

Facebook.com/Kidde on Facebook
@KiddeSafety on Twitter
@KiddeFireSafety on Instagram

I am a part of #TeamKidde. I am acting as an ambassador for Kidde in 2015 and posts, while compensated, reflect my honest and personal experiences with Kidde and their partners.

RemoteLyncTM Camera by Kidde = Ultimate Family Safety!

The New RemoteLync Camera

RemoteLync^TMCamera by Kidde = Ultimate Family Safety!