October 9 to 15 is officially Nation Fire Prevention Week. A home fire is reported every 87 seconds.
An appraiser when doing an inspection does not do a building inspection but will check for Safety, Security and Soundness. Contact the appraisers at www.socalappraisalserv.com for questions on the 3s or if you have questions regarding a FHA loan inspection.
Here is what you can do to prevent a fire and if worst case scenario evacuate your family if one ignites.
- Have a working smoke alarm on each floor. Check and test the batteries every 6 months. If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old replace it with a model that has photoelectric and ionized sensors.
- Keep fire extinguishers handy. Keep fire extinguishers where blazes are more likely to start such as the kitchen and garage. Check expiration dates and get canisters serviced annually.
- Check for potential hot spots. Every month, walk inside and outside your home, looking for conditions that could spark a blaze (an overloaded outlet or combustibles leaning against a potential igniter). Check your dryer for lint build-up and clear the filter after each use.
- Make an escape plan – and practice.
- Create a fire survival kit, and make sure everyone knows where to find it in an emergency.
- Reach out to your local fire department. They have experts on staff who will visit your house and look for potential problems, such as building code violations that could be fires waiting to happen.
To order the 2011-2012 calendar go to: http://www.nyfirestore.com/calendars.html
377,000 of US residential fires in 2009, most of which were preventable – US Fire Administration
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