Check your homeowners coverage for what was under the Christmas Tree
www.nfpa.org
Breast cancer awareness is the most recognizable cause associated with October.
Another important cause is Fire Prevention Week which is October 5-11. It is an important week to me on two fronts. As an insurance agent and the Fire Chief for the City of Rockwood. I have seen the devastating effects a fire can have on a family. A fire can be prevented using common scents in many cases. If you use a fire place, woodstove or space heater in your home be mindful of what is around it. Don’t put combustible item close them. An ember can jump out of the fire place and the radiant heat from a woodstove and space heater can cause items to catch fire. Clean out the lint trap on your dryer after every load, replace any plastic vent hose with a metal one, and check for lint build up in the vent leading outside.
Make sure you home has working smoke alarms. Whether you have hard wired alarms or battery operated you should check them once a month. It is a good idea to replace the batteries in smoke alarms twice a year. Look into replacing your smoke alarms every 10 years. If you have children have a talk with them about never removing the batteries from the smoke detector. Here is a link to information on smoke detector from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Does your family have an escape plan from every room in the house. During our visits to schools during Fire Prevention week we stress to the kids the need to have and practice their escape plan like they do at school. It is important to practice you escape plan even at night while the kids our sleeping. Here is a link to information on escape plans from the NFPA.