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Remember to Follow These Home Safety Tips

12/19/2011

The season of good cheer is an exciting time of year. However, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season…

Remember to Follow These Home Safety Tips

12/19/2011

September is National Preparedness Month

09/09/2011

Remember to Follow These Home Safety Tips

Posted on: 12/19/2011

The season of good cheer is an exciting time of year. However, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can lead to all kinds of unfortunate accidents. You already know about the hazards of deep frying a turkey or climbing on a roof to put up Christmas lights. So instead, we here at Paul Davis of Austin have gone the less obvious route. Here are 4 off-the-beaten-path holiday safety tips to protect your loved ones and your property from dangers.

FIRE IN THE FLUE: When you’re lighting up the wood fireplace, you have more to worry about than just soot or creosote residue causing a fire in your flue. There’s also the risk of barbecuing a raccoon, squirrel, or bird that’s gotten wedged in your chimney. That’s a good reason to have your chimney swept and cleaned before you light up that Yule log. Just have the chimney sweep check to make sure it’s not Santa stuck up there

WARM AND TOASTED: Perhaps your overnight guests are from warmer climates. Using a space heater for the guest room may seem like a good way to keep the relatives warm. However, space heaters are involved in 25% of home heating fires (and cause 75% of home heating-related fatalities). It might be safer to simply turn up the thermostat on your central heating to keep everyone cozy.

GET A WARM GLOW: Christmas lights installed alongside walkways during wet or icy weather are actually a good safety tool. These lights give off a soft glow at night - unlike harsh halogen lamps that create glare. If you pick a neutral color like gold or white, you can leave them in place even after the holidays are over.

OUTDOOR STRINGS AND THINGS: In our region, winter can bring nasty, cold rain or sleet. Wet conditions greatly increase the danger of electrical accidents from Christmas lights. Using UL listed outdoor lights and extension cords plugged into GFCI outlets are standard precautions. A newer safety option is to buy solar powered Christmas lights that eliminate the need for cords and outlets altogether.

September is National Preparedness Month

Posted on: 09/09/2011

Every year, Paul Davis Restoration of Austin participates in National Preparedness Month in September to spread the word to individuals and families about the importance for being ready for disasters.

The program is sponsored by The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign. Visit www.Ready.gov for information.

The key is to be informed and have a plan that you and your family discuss and practice. It is equally important to have an Emergency Ready Kit stocked and ready in case a disaster strikes. Below is a quick list of the items that every Emergency Ready Kit should contain.

Water – one gallon per person per day for at least three days
Food – at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
First aid kit – to include bandages; sterile gloves; antibiotic ointment; iodine/alcohol pads; medical tape; pain reliever; emergency blanket; thermometer; prescription medications, and other prescribed medical supplies.
Clothing – A change of clothing and a sleeping bag for each person
Battery-powered or hand crank radio, a NOAA Weather Radio, extra batteries
Cell Phone and charger
Flashlight and extra batteries
Filter masks – to cover mouth and nose
Heavy weight garbage bags, plastic sheeting and duct tape – to protect against debris and toxins
Waterproof, portable containers – for critical documents such as IDs, insurance policies, bank account records, computer backup files, emergency and law enforcement information, and other priority documents. Store a second set of records at an off-site location.

See our Emergency Ready Kit video.

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