Every year house fires cause over 4000 deaths in the United States. Approximately 130 of those deaths are in the state of Georgia. Many could be avoided if all families have working smoke alarms in their homes. Of course having a smoke alarm isn't enough. You have to have WORKING smoke alarm. It should be tested at least monthly and you should have a fire escape plan for your family that you have actually practiced.
Remember those fire drills when you were in grade school? Well plan one for your family. You should practice several times and with no notice to all family members. An in the middle of the night drill will tell you if your family is ready and would likely survive a house fire. It's also a good idea to have several fire extinguishers in your home. I have one in my laundry room, one in the kitchen and one in my bedroom. I also had one in each of my children's rooms when the kids still lived at home, but I sent them off to college with them. (I also keep one in the trunk of my vehicle)
So this weekend when you get that extra hour... make good use of it. Make sure you have working smoke alarms, add fresh batteries and sit down and 
plan your fire escape plan with your family. It could save your life and the lives of those you love if you just have a plan of action to take in case of a fire.
I've heard it said so many times that people say "well I'd try to get my photographs, they can't be replaced." Well I've lost a family member in a house fire and your photographs can be safe guarded, but you certainly can't replace people. You can scan photos and store the cd at the bank in safe deposit box or use one of the many on-line places to store your photos. Get your family out. Make a plan.
The Ready.Georgia website has some great information for planning. And some do and do nots for different types of fires that you should know and teach your children about.
Most home fires occur in winter when heat from different sources is being utilized. So Saturday night when you are getting ready to go to bed, remember to change your clocks! But even if you forget that... don't worry you'll be early not late to church! But whatever you do, don't forget to make sure you have a working smoke alarm and a fire escape plan. It just may save the lives of those you love. And I can't think of anything more important than that.
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Hi Tammy, what a good way to remember to change the batteries in the smoke alarms. Have a safe one.
Liz Flint, Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty, Houston/Tomball Texas, sales_by_liz@hotmail.com
I change mine twice a year and test occasionally also. Better safe than sorry. And we do have a fireplace and last year a friend's washing machine caught on fire after she put on laundry and went to bed... thus the fire extinguisher in my laundry room.
Tammy...we get lazy sometime, daylight savings time has always been a great reminder to change the batteries (even in your hard wired smoke detectors).
Tammy... Thanks for the reminder. I always replace the batteries in the fall and spring when we adjust the clocks.
Good reminder Tammy.
Now all I have to do is get someone over who can climb a ladder, which isn't me, to change the batteries in the smoke detectors.
While they're up there, they can replace the burnt out light bulbs in the ceiling lights too.
Tammy, This is so-o-o true. I put in my reports for folks to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they take possession of their new home. Smoke alarms are such a necessity...
Great advice Tammy thanks for reminding us ....peace zane
Great post Tammy! A friend of ours left her dryer running and she left the house. No biggie right? Wrong! The entire house caught on fire and the house burnt down to the ground because some of the lint in the hose caught on fire. I never do that anymore.
I also change the Carbon Monoxide batteries as well even though that plugs into the wall.
Tammy: I love the idea. A few times we have gone too long on changing the smoke alarms, and end up with the alarm chirping in middle of the night when the battery dies. Ugh! That's not fun. A fire is not any fun, either!
It is just one of those things you don't appreciate until you need it! Thanks for the post.
Tammy - Thanks for reminding me. I always have the washer and dryer on and then go to bed. Great tip - fire extinguisher in laundry room.
Hi Tammy, Great public service announcement - and important information to save lives. I read Lenn's comment and wonder why some are put so high - many people can't reach them with risking life and limb?
I am sorry to hear about your family member Tammy. Thank you for taking the initiative to make sure that this does not happen to anyone else.
Tammy, how terrible to have lost a family member from fire. All the more important to heed your advice. I am sorry for your loss.
Tammy...
Thanks for this important reminder. It really can save lives!
Hi Tammy~ Thanks for both of the reminders. It just may save a life. Those smoke alarms are so important!
Steve- I don't change my hardwired ones but once a year so long as they test well. I have two of those, but I added lots of extra battery ones... each bedroom has it's own.
Valerie- good job... now do you have that fire escape plan down to a science?
Lenn- If it weren't a 12 hour drive I'd offer to do it for you. I actually love heights.
Michael- you know you gave me an idea- I make buyers "emergency kits" with candles, bottled water, flashlights... I can also include a few 9 volt batteries for those smoke alarms.
Zane- just get it done
Jackie- I also don't run my dishwasher when I'm not home... or sleeping. Appliances account for many household fires.
Melissa- I can honestly say I have never left a battery long enough to die...
Sharon- I used to do that as well, but now I don't anymore. No need to take a risk I don't have to take.
Mary- well I have to get a ladder at my office also, but smoke rises and on the ceiling or near the ceiling is the best place for them to do their job.
Mark- thanks. I was a teenager when it occurred. Smoke detectors were not as common, not code and certainly not as cheap.
Gary- thanks. It has always made me more cautious with candles and electric blankets and I never leave anything on or plugged in that isn't needed when I'm not at home.
Christine- Yes I would miss lots of "things" if my house burned, even things that money couldn't replace, but better a memory of "things" than my family.
Richard- It's easy to let things like this slip and better safe than sorry.
Vickie- welcome. And they certainly are very important.
Tammy:
I almost forgot about it. I get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Thanks for the reminder. One year I dutifully set the clocks back an hour before going to bed and when hubby came home he did the same thing. The next day was a real mess.
Carol- Several of my clocks adjust automatically now and I just love the feature. I can't imagine the mess of both of you doing it. Of course after it was over I'm sure I would have ended up laughing about it.
Thanks for the reminder about daylight savings time -- I can't believe it's here already! :-) Great idea about the detectors.
Thanks for the reminder about daylight savings time -- I can't believe it's here already! :-) Great idea about the detectors.
Kerry- It's later than ever. Frankly I wish they'd just set it one way or the other and leave it be, but I could still change my batteries on Halloween. :)
Perfect PSA Tammy !
... great reminder, I shall write myself a sticky note right now !
Cheers !
Sheldon :o)
I'm so glad you wrote this, Tammy, or I might have gone through the whole weekend without remembering to change not only the clocks but the batteries in the smoke detector. I totally thought this was next weekend. It's always a great reminder to switch out the batteries at the time change. But, what do the people in Arizona do? Their time never changes!
Thanks for the post!! Friendly reminders are always appreciated!!! All the Best!!
Good idea -- we in Arizona do not do daylight time -- but we still try and get the batteries changed.
Most of Canada will also be switching from daylight savings time to standard time this weekend too. The authorities and safety experts in Canada also recommend changing the batteries when we change the clocks.
Good tips and advice today in your blog. THanks for getting it out ther to us on AR>
Patricia/Seacoast NH
Great reminder, that reminds me, I have to Video Blog about this one today!
Jean Richer
Ottawa, ON
Sheldon- you do that you little devil you.
Heather- They can still change their batteries I suppose, but I might set my own date if I lived there... like my birthday... so I could live another year.
Stephen- you comment made me laugh and wonder if you've had some "unfriendly reminders" lately? Have a great day
Bob and Carolin- I really could have swore that when I was in Phoenix two summers ago the hotel had their clocks all set with daylight savings time?? I had no idea they still don't change?!?!
Marc- I didn't mean to leave anyone out... really, just didn't cross my mind to look for statistics of fires in Canada, but now I'm curious and will do so.
Patricia- It's a super important issue in my family. Now my daughter is also dating a fireman so it's ever so much more important to me.
Jean- it happens to me a lot that I read a post and get a reminder of post I was meaning to do. Neat how we help and encourage one another I think.
Hi Tammy: OK, I have a question for you. Do you know how to operate the fire extinguisher? Because I don't. I have one in my laundry room, too, but if I had to grab it in an emergency, I'm not sure if it would be apparent what to do with it. But I do know that in the event of a fire, I'm pulling the pillow cases off my pillows, stuffing the cats inside and getting the heck out of dodge.
Actually I do and so do my children. I worked for 7 years at a newspaper and low and behold one night we had a fire and I had to use one. At the time I was a little freaked out at having to read instructions to A- make sure I could spray it on the electrical fire and B- figure out how to use the thing while the building was on fire.
Fortunately it is as easy as it looks and the first one I picked up said it was for electrical fires in the list of things you could use it for. Unfortunately it had lost pressure and did not work, Fortunately by the time I used the 3rd one I had one that would work.
I raised hell with the "inspection" company for checking them with tags saying they were good when in fact they were not. So for me personally I replace mine every couple of years. Because I know for a fact it can still have the dial on the little green part and not be good anymore.
Tammy, thanks for the article. I had forgot this weekend was the time change.
Ted- I wonder how many others have forgotten also? I never look forward to driving home from work in the dark. I'm glad it's all the way to November now before they change it back.
Tammy - Excellent advice. I'll have to buy a couple of fire extinguishers to put in my children's rooms.