Rolling our clocks back for the end of daylight saving time offers a reminder to check our smoke detectors and batteries. Fresh batteries and detectors will help protect our loved ones and property.
As an interesting Good Housekeeping article notes, the twice-yearly synchronization of our computers is, of course, automatic. Resetting our clocks and other devices requires manual intervention — so it’s a great policy to simultaneously and routinely check our smoke alarms’ power sources, too.
The Risk of Fire
Why should you add battery checkup to your list of things to do? Well, according to a survey cited in the article, only 57 percent of those who owned fire alarms had followed best practices and checked their alarms in the six months prior to being polled.
The U.S. Consumer Protection Agency echoes the findings of the magazine article, noting that in the United States, annually, there are:
- About 330,000 home fires
- Roughly 2,200 deaths
- Some 11,000 emergency-room related injuries
Maintaining Smoke Alarms
Proper installation and maintenance of smoke alarms will reduce risk. When adding the alarm test to your daylight-saving time to-do list, there are some best practices to observe that will reduce risks and make the process more streamlined.
According to Good Housekeeping:
- When removing the cover, lift it or twist it off — although sometimes the entire alarm detaches from the base
- Replace battery with a new one (typically they are 9-volt)
- Snap cover or battery back into place
- Press test button to ensure it’s operational — it should emit a beep or chirp
While you are checking the smoke detector, you should also examine the manufacturer’s stamp indicating the year the device was made. Detectors lose their efficacy over time, and they need to be replaced every 10 years or less to remain up to code.
To go even further, install both smoke and carbon monoxide detection solutions. You can also procure monitoring services from a local provider who can immediately detect the presence of smoke or dangerous gasses and alert you and first responders.
But above all, make daylight saving time an occasion to consider safety as well as punctuality.
Next Steps
Read more →
Keep Your Home Safe from Carbon Monoxide
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamWinter is here, and we’ve already weathered our first big snowstorm of the season. Now, as temperatures keep dropping and the weather becomes more inclement, we New Englanders will be spending more and more time indoors.
This also means we need to be doubly on the alert about carbon monoxide — the “silent killer.” As this blog has noted previously, carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas. It leaks from common heating and lighting sources, like faulty furnaces, portable generators, stoves, lanterns and gas ranges.
Enjoy Small Business Saturday Securely and Successfully
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamSince its launch in 2010, Small Business Saturday has given smaller retailers and other local firms a chance to compete against the major online powerhouses, such as Amazon. As one of these smaller companies, you want to make the day as successful as possible.
That means using every tool and platform available. Ensure all your goods and cyber assets are secure, and your personnel both honest and competent. This way, you’ll increase your chance to end the day in the black and not the red.
Small Business: Big Results
The event has had a real-world impact throughout New England and the rest of the United States. In 2018, it drove nearly $18 billion in sales, according to the National Federation of Small Business (NFSB).
That’s not too surprising when you realize that there are:
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Keep Thanksgiving Safe: Follow These Tips
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamWith Halloween behind us, the holiday season has officially begun. It’s now time to think about home and travel safety in the midst of this season’s hustle and bustle.
Getting together with family and friends can be hectic, and the potential for accidents skyrockets with children running around, large dinners prepared and the fireplace roaring. As this blog has previously noted, Thanksgiving Day is the most common day for kitchen fires. Cooking accidents are the leading cause (77 percent) of Thanksgiving house fires in the United States.
That’s not even to mention the risks of traveling. Between heavy traffic, weather and other factors, Thanksgiving travel demands special precautions, as this safety checklist from a law office notes. Unfortunately, alcohol-related accidents caused 800 deaths between 2012 and 2016 during Thanksgiving alone.
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Defending Against Cyberbullying
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamIn 21st century New England, protecting our loved ones’ lives and wellbeing must factor in new digital threats. Complete strangers can reach into our homes electronically, defeating any physical safety system we’ve installed.
And with the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and social media platforms, the risk of cyberbullying – simply defined as inflicting intentional electronically enabled harm – only grows, as a guide on the subject illustrates.
Read more →
Daylight Savings: Don’t Forget to Check the Fire Alarms
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamRolling our clocks back for the end of daylight saving time offers a reminder to check our smoke detectors and batteries. Fresh batteries and detectors will help protect our loved ones and property.
As an interesting Good Housekeeping article notes, the twice-yearly synchronization of our computers is, of course, automatic. Resetting our clocks and other devices requires manual intervention — so it’s a great policy to simultaneously and routinely check our smoke alarms’ power sources, too.
The Risk of Fire
Why should you add battery checkup to your list of things to do? Well, according to a survey cited in the article, only 57 percent of those who owned fire alarms had followed best practices and checked their alarms in the six months prior to being polled.
The U.S. Consumer Protection Agency echoes the findings of the magazine article, noting that in the United States, annually, there are:
Maintaining Smoke Alarms
Proper installation and maintenance of smoke alarms will reduce risk. When adding the alarm test to your daylight-saving time to-do list, there are some best practices to observe that will reduce risks and make the process more streamlined.
According to Good Housekeeping:
While you are checking the smoke detector, you should also examine the manufacturer’s stamp indicating the year the device was made. Detectors lose their efficacy over time, and they need to be replaced every 10 years or less to remain up to code.
To go even further, install both smoke and carbon monoxide detection solutions. You can also procure monitoring services from a local provider who can immediately detect the presence of smoke or dangerous gasses and alert you and first responders.
But above all, make daylight saving time an occasion to consider safety as well as punctuality.
Next Steps
Read more →
Have A Happy & Safe Halloween
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamHalloween is upon us. A magical time for ghosts and goblins – or princes and princesses – to scamper through their neighborhoods in search of sweets and other treats.
At American Alarm, we love the spookiest day of the year. While we make last minute costume decisions (Thanos or Black Widow?), courtesy of the Massachusetts State Fire Marshall and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we want to offer some helpful tips to ensure that you and your children have a spooktacular All Hallow’s Eve:
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Keep Halloween Spooky — But Safe
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamNational Fire Prevention Week just passed, and we’re heading to October 31 and all its trick-or-treating fun.
Halloween presents its own set of risks, however, and we should think of special ways to protect our homes, loved ones and property. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), among the fire risks are traditional Halloween paraphernalia and activities:
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Fighting Fire with Fire Alarms
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamThe passage of Fire Prevention Week offers an opportunity to re-evaluate our fire protection. Simply being aware of the risk is inadequate – alarm systems and procedures need to be in place for true fire safety.
As a FEMA press release about October being National Fire Protection Month notes, “most Americans underestimate their risk for fire, and many either lack emergency response plans – or fail to practice them with fire drills.”
FEMA also notes how in a typical house fire, there may be only one or two minutes after an alarm sounds to escape the premises. A small flame can become a major blaze in just 30 seconds. There isn’t a lot of room for delay once fire breaks out.
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Protect Your Business During Fire Prevention Month
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamIt’s National Fire Prevention Month through October — and a great time to evaluate your fire alarm system. These can be a key part of a holistic approach to protect your business, employees and customers.
Fire, unfortunately, remains a major risk to business owners here in New England and beyond. When a fire strikes, it may completely ruin your office, factory or retail shop. And if the fire doesn’t completely destroy your workplace, it can severely damage on-site gear and property. That can leave you unable to function properly for weeks or months — adding lost business to the price tag of the fire itself.
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Fire Detection/Prevention: Getting the Alarm and Getting it Right
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamOctober 6 is Fire Prevention Week in North America, and it’s an appropriate occasion to think about how we can ensure our loved ones, homes, and property can be better protected. At American Alarm, we take the danger of fire especially seriously: A deadly fire’s aftermath was the reason why the company was launched.
Fire remains a very real threat in New England, and beyond. An alarm (preferably with a monitoring service) is a proven way of proactively detecting the presence of smoke before the fire is out of hand. For instance, this past September, an empty Waterford, Connecticut house was engulfed in flames before neighbors could report the blaze and the fire department could locate it.
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