Fire Safety Tips for Your Apartment

Fire Safety Tips for Your Apartment

Keeping your family safe in your apartment is more than just locking the doors and windows. There’s fire safety in Chicago tips that you need to keep in mind to help keep your family and your apartment safe should a fire break out. Keep these tips close by and also share them with your family as you prepare your home for the holidays.

Use Surge Protectors

One simple step that can keep your home safe is by installing surge protectors for your electronics. This will help you to keep multiple units such as your computer, toaster, coffee pot, and even your Christmas tree lit safely. This will help to prevent electric fires from overdoing an outlet with several different items at once.

Check Cords

If any of your cords look frayed or worn, do not plug the appliance in. Make sure you repair any cords or simply replace the unit itself. Do not take a chance by plugging things in that could potentially be a hazard. Frayed cords can start fires and you want to prevent that from happening.

Do Not Run Cords Under Rugs

Make sure that you place appliances, heaters, and other electric units near the outlets themselves. This will keep you from running the plugs across two rooms or even under the carpet or rug. That can be another cause of fire in your apartment if something sparks on the rugs.

Check and Maintain Fire Extinguishers

One key component to your fire safety in Chicago is making sure you have a portable fire extinguisher in your apartment. That can mean the difference in minimal damage and catastrophic damage. Be sure to check your unit regularly and keep it charged so that it is ready if you ever need to use it.

Secure Heaters

In Chicago it can get quite cold. Sometimes your heater may not keep your whole apartment comfortable. Space heaters can be a huge benefit to apartment living as it is cheaper to run them than full systems. However, they can also be a huge fire hazard if not properly taken care of. Make sure to never sleep with these units on and always keep an eye on them during the day when they are in use.

Have an Escape Plan

It is not enough just to know to get out the apartment if the fire alarm goes off. You must have a plan in place that everyone in your family knows to safely exit the building. Make sure you practice this at least every few months to keep everyone prepared.

Smoke Detectors

Another huge part of your Chicago fire safety is keeping your smoke detectors in good working order. Make sure that you check your batteries each month and change them out every six months. You do not want to risk a huge tragedy simply because of not changing batteries out.

Fire safety in Chicago is easier to maintain than you might think. Keep these ideas in mind as you prepare your home for the winter season.