Home safety: Creating a fire safety plan and prevention measures

by Rudden|Bobruska Team 02/26/2023

House fires can do tremendous damage to your home and also put your household's lives at risk. It's crucial to practice fire safety and prevention, so you and your house members are prepared in case a fire does happen. Taking steps to prevent fires from occurring helps reduce the risk of having to deal with these fires. The following checklist can help you practice fire safety and prevention.

Make an escape plan

One of the first things on your checklist should be an escape plan. You and your household need to know where to go if a fire occurs. Keep in mind you might need to have two different escape routes available. Establishing these escape routes and practicing your escape plan can help ensure everyone in your house knows how to get out safely.

Practice fire drills twice a year

Run through a fire drill at least twice a year, or more often if needed, with your household. During these drills, practice your escape plan, including escaping via different routes or getting to safety from unexpected places you might be in when a fire breaks out, such as the basement or attic. Running through these fire drills is an important part of making sure your house members stay safe if a fire occurs.

Purchase a fire extinguisher

Having a fire extinguisher in your home provides a handy way to put out smaller fires before they become bigger ones. You might keep your fire extinguisher near your kitchen in case of cooking fires or close to an exit, so you can grab it easily. Maintain your extinguisher to make sure it's in good condition at all times.

Test smoke alarms

Make a habit of checking your smoke alarms weekly to make sure they work. Every level in your home should have at least one smoke alarm. Check and/or replace batteries in your smoke alarms at least once a year, which helps ensure these alarms will go off in case of a fire.

Identify fire hazards

Check for fire hazards in and around your home, such as outlets that aren't working or frayed wires. Move flammable objects a few feet away from fireplaces, and clear out your lint filter to prevent dryer fires. Remove as many fire hazards from your home as possible to prevent house fires from occurring.

About the Author
Author

Rudden|Bobruska Team

Gary Rudden, Lisa Rudden, and Nick Bobruska  

RUDDEN BOBRUSKA TEAM

What sets your team apart from other real estate teams?

There is no team out in the market that offers what we do. All of us are Realtors, but

we each have specialized roles, which make our team so unique!

After decades of living and selling real estate in the DMV, we have established

ourselves as one of the top real estate teams with our market expertise and

cutting-edge technology. Our savvy high-tech marketing is on every website

and social media source. We have a huge network with other top agents, which

helps to premarket homes and discover homes for buyers before they reach the

open market. Our services include professional in-house staging services, broker

expertise in negotiating and navigating contracts, and buyer representation in all

price ranges. Each client has different needs and we create a marketing plan based

on those needs.

Our most distinct feature is our in-house construction and renovation team. We

are literally a full-service, one-stop shop when selling or buying a home!

How does the in-house construction and renovation team work?

All work is managed and completed through our licensed and bonded construction

crew. No need to call outside contractors. We are like “HGTV,” but we just don’t

have a show! Whether it’s a small makeover or a major renovation, we do it all. Our

sellers love this aspect of our team because we make preparing your home for the

market so seamless. Our buyers love the advice and insight we can give for future

renovations and repairs.

Having a licensed Maryland Home Improvement contractor as part of our team

along with the knowledge, experience, commitment and services that we offer, truly

puts our team as a vanguard in the real estate industry.