How to create a Family Fire Emergency Plan
Don’t Let Holiday Fun Put Your Safety at Risk
Christmas morning is magical, with kids excitedly unwrapping gifts and everyone eager to try out new gadgets and toys. But one common oversight can have dangerous consequences: running out of batteries and raiding your smoke detector to keep the festivities going!
This is more common than you might think. Surveys reveal that up to 30% of people admit to disabling smoke alarms, often due to low batteries or chirping noises. During the holidays, the temptation to take batteries from alarms increases. However, a non-functional smoke alarm is as good as having no alarm at all, drastically increasing your risk of harm in case of a fire.
Consider this: the majority of domestic fire fatalities occur in houses without working smoke alarms!
A working smoke alarm can reduce your risk of death in a domestic fire by up to 50 %. Fires tend to spike during the colder months when fireplaces, heaters, and decorative lights are in heavy use, making functional alarms even more critical.
How to Stay Safe This Christmas
- Stock up on batteries: Ensure you have plenty of AA or AAA batteries for toys, gadgets, and remote controls.
- Invest in backups: Pick up a multi-pack of 9-volt or other specific batteries for alarms and devices.
- Check your alarms: Test smoke and CO alarms weekly and replace batteries as needed. If they’re over 10 years old, replace the units entirely.
Don’t let a lack of batteries dampen your holiday spirit—or put your family’s safety at risk. A little preparation goes a long way in keeping your loved ones safe and the season joyful!
Remember: If you Discover a Fire
Raise the alarm
Evacuate the premises
Call 999 or 112
Only tackle the fire if safe to do so
Be Smart. Be Prepared. Be Safe.
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