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(HealthNewsDigest.com)-Many people are looking forward to the extra hour of sleep that comes with daylight-saving time. However, that extra hour can help keep families safe if it is used wisely. Whether making a potentially life-saving change in your home or reaching out to help others,Êhere are a fewÊideas to make the most of the added hour:
Helping Yourself
• Change the batteries in your home smoke alarms. That’s the recommendation from the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Energizer, who partner on the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® program, recognizing the fact that almost two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors. The IAFC also recommends a mix of both ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors be installed to alert you to all types of home fires.
While 96 percent of American homes have at least one smoke alarm, 19 percent of all homes with smoke alarms do not have at least one smoke alarm that works, mostly due to missing or dead batteries.
In addition, roughly 4.5 million homes are at risk by not having smoke detectors at all. Take the time to install detectors if there isn’t one in your home. The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code recommends a minimum of one smoke alarm on each level of a home, including one inside each bedroom and one outside each sleeping area.
• In addition to changing the batteries in your smoke detector, inspect them. Alarms that are more than 10 years old should be replaced, as should any that are damaged, painted over or show signs of wear. Clean and dust them. Plan to clean and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors once a month.
• Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors. Every home should also have at least one working carbon monoxide detector on each level of a home, including one outside each sleeping area. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless. The National Safety Council reports that almost 700 people die each year as a result of unintentional poisoning by gases or vapors in nonfire situations. Carbon monoxide was involved in the majority of these deaths.
• Draw out a family evacuation plan for every member of the household. Include exits from all rooms of the house including each bedroom and basement. Then set up a family meeting time and practice the plan to make sure it works. Adjust the plan if needed. Only 23 percent of U.S. families have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
Family evacuation plans are critical to home fire safety, but can also be useful in many types of emergencies. Here are a few more suggestions for preparing for other hazards and emergencies that may require evacuation or sheltering in place:
• Check the batteries in your flashlights and keep them next to your beds, in the kitchen and other heavily used rooms in the home.
• Have a family scavenger hunt. See how quickly you can gather the things you need in an emergency. The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security suggests including water, food, battery-powered radio and flashlights with extra batteries, first-aid kit, change of clothing, blanket or sleeping bag, a manual can opener, and any special items needed for your family. Use these items to create a household emergency kit.
• Gather important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, Social Security cards, passports, identification and bank account records and place them in a waterproof portable container. Make sure to include a list of the persons in the household, their names and ages, weights, allergies and any medical conditions and update periodically. Also keep a list handy with doctors’ names and phone numbers, emergency contacts and utility emergency phone numbers, such as for gas, electric and water companies.
Helping Others
For 23 years, Energizer and the IAFC have worked together on the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program, along with thousands of fire departments nationwide, to help reduce the number of homes without working smoke detectors. They remind communities to check and change their smoke alarm batteries and to make sure their smoke alarms are working. Through the program, Energizer has donated more than four million batteries to local fire departments.
This year, residents can take a simple step to protect themselves and also help local fire departments across the country protect families in need. Everyone can help supply local fire departments with free smoke alarm batteries to distribute to communities nationwide. Beginning October 16, a visit to www.facebook.com/energizerbunny can help drive the number of batteries that Energizer will donate to local fire departments, up to 400,000 batteries.
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