When opening up your cottage or vacation home for the season, consider adding smoke and carbon monoxide alarm upgrades to your to-do list. These necessary safety products are an easy addition, and yet many Canadians are under-protected and unprepared when it comes to detectable – and usually preventable – threats like smoke, fire and carbon monoxide (CO).
According to the Canadian National Fire Information Database, 80 per cent of fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms, often due to missing batteries or expired alarms. Additionally, many homes lack proper CO protection, with a consumer survey reporting that more than one-third of Canadian homes don’t have CO alarms. Often dubbed the “silent killer,” CO is an invisible, odorless gas that is impossible to detect without an alarm and is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in Canada.
Fortunately, there are several easy ways to help keep your family and home safe by taking a few simple precautions and installing the latest in fire and CO alarm technology.
Cover your bases. Even if you have smoke and CO alarms in your home, you and your family may not be sufficiently protected if you don’t have enough devices. To ensure the highest level of protection, follow the National Fire Protection Association’s recommendation to install smoke and CO alarms inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the cottage, including the basement.
Test and maintain alarms. Once enough alarms are installed, be sure to properly maintain them. Fire safety experts report that more than 60 per cent of consumers do not regularly test their smoke and CO alarms. Alarms should be tested regularly, and the batteries changed every six months.
Be safe, replace. Smoke and CO alarms are on duty 24/7 and need to be replaced at least every 10 years. If you can’t remember when you installed your alarms, chances are, it’s time to replace them. Installing new ones ensures you are protected with the most advanced sensing technologies and the latest safety features available.
Go for a 10. One of the greatest advancements in alarm technology in recent years, 10-year sealed battery alarms offer convenient protection by eliminating low-battery chirps and battery replacements for a decade. For ultimate cottage safety, upgrade to the First Alert 10-Year Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm for 2-in-1 protection against both smoke and carbon monoxide. The alarm features a slim, contemporary design that mounts unobtrusively on a wall or ceiling. And, with a 10-year battery, it eliminates the risk of having the alarm deactivated due to battery removal.
For more information, visit First Alert.
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