Over the years, design and innovation have led to a better fire alarm system for your home. When fire alarms first came on the scene, they were basic electrical circuits powered by a small battery.
Today’s fire alarm systems employ the use of microprocessors and other internal circuitry to provide you and your family a system that can;
- Alert the family
- Alert the local fire station
- Provide 24-hour monitoring for heat
- Provide 24-hour monitoring for smoke
Each year the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides data on residential fires from the previous year. Since the introduction of residential fire alarm systems, those numbers have decreased as much as 50% overall.
Chapter 29 of the NFPA code states that to be the most effective, you should place fire alarms in the following areas;
- All sleeping/guest rooms
- Outside the sleeping areas within 20 feet of the door to the sleeping area
- Every level of the home, including basements
- Crawl spaces and attics
Conduct a monthly test on your fire alarm system to ensure everything is in proper working order.
Have a Plan, and Practice It!
The most beneficial tool to you and your family is to have a fire plan and practice what to do in case a fire starts in your home. A fire can spread quickly, leaving you with as little as two minutes to escape to safety.
You need to pull all family members together and formulate a plan that can be practiced and perfected in case a fire breaks out. Walk through your home with your family and make sure everyone knows the escape route according to which room they are in when the fire alarm system sounds.
The NFPA has a very informative web page on this subject and some very valuable tools like mapping your home with a grid system to help you plan for your safe evacuation in the presence of fire.
Once you have a plan, it is wise to practice that plan regularly.
When you are ready to provide your family with the best available fire alarm systems on the market, the team here at ProTec Security Systems stands ready to provide you with the very best fire alarm systems. Contact us today!