Category: Fire Safety

At EMC Security, we know that fire safety is a top concern for homeowners, regardless of whether you live in an old or new home.

In fact, yesterday at 4:24 PM, we received a fire alarm from Barbara J.’s home, reminding us of the importance of fire monitoring. We immediately reached out to assess the situation and offer assistance. Barbara informed us that her dryer had caught fire, but she managed to extinguish it herself. Recognizing the potential danger, Barbara requested an inspection by the fire department to ensure her home’s safety, so we dispatched help to her location. This incident highlights the critical role that fire monitoring plays in protecting our homes and loved ones.

Contrary to popular belief, new homes are actually at greater risk of fast-moving, high-damage fires. The open floor plans often found in newer homes provide excellent air circulation and great sightlines. While these features are beneficial, they also allow fire to spread quickly, providing ample oxygen and a clear path for the flames to travel. Additionally, the abundance of technology in newer homes, including computers, televisions, tablets, and phones, poses an additional fire risk. These devices are often made with synthetic materials that burn quickly, putting your home in jeopardy.

Fires starting in dryers can pose a significant risk of fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), dryers, along with washing machines, contribute an average of 15,970 fires annually in the United States. Out of these fires, dryers account for 92% and result in approximately $238 million in property damage. The most common cause of dryer fires is the failure to clean and maintain the appliances with lint build-up in the dryer vents.

It is crucial to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of dryer fires.

1. Clean the lint filter after every load of laundry. Buildup of lint in the filter can restrict airflow and increase the risk of a fire.
2. Regularly clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct. Lint can accumulate in these areas over time, causing a blockage that hampers airflow.
3. Avoid overloading the dryer. Overloading the machine can lead to overheating and increase the risk of a fire. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for load capacity.
4. Use metal ducts for venting. Flexible or plastic ducts are more prone to lint buildup and can be a fire hazard. Metal ducts provide better airflow and are less likely to ignite if a fire starts.
5. Avoid leaving the dryer running when you’re not at home or when you go to bed.

What else can you do?

Installing a fire monitoring system is the number one action you can take to safeguard your new home. At EMC Security, we believe so strongly in the importance of fire monitoring that we include it at no additional cost in all of our security systems. This comprehensive fire monitoring will promptly detect any signs of fire and immediately alert you and your family. By taking swift action, you can minimize potential damage and increase your chances of saving lives.

Contact us today to learn more about how our fire monitoring system can be seamlessly integrated into your home security.

Smoke detectors play a crucial role in protecting your home and loved ones from the dangers of fire.

Regular testing of your smoke detectors is essential to ensure they are functioning optimally and providing the necessary protection. Below are steps to test your smoke detectors and maintain them for optimal performance.

Frequency of Testing

To ensure your smoke detectors are in proper working order, test them at least once a month. Additionally, it’s a good practice to replace the batteries annually, or as soon as you hear the low-battery warning beep. Smoke detectors have a lifespan of about 10 years, so be sure to replace them entirely after a decade of use.

Preparation for Testing

Before testing your smoke detectors, inform all household members about the upcoming test to avoid any confusion or panic. To reach the detector, you’ll need a stable step stool or ladder. Make sure it’s secure and in good condition before proceeding.

Testing the Smoke Detector

To test your smoke detector, follow these simple steps:

1. Press and hold the test button on the detector. You should hear a loud alarm sound within a few seconds.
2. Release the button after the alarm sounds.

If the alarm does not sound during the test, try the following:

1. Check and replace the batteries.
2. Test the detector again after replacing the batteries.
3. If the alarm still doesn’t sound, it’s time to replace the smoke detector with a new one.

Testing with Smoke (Optional)

For a more accurate test, you can use a real smoke source, such as a lit match or a smoke pen. Hold the smoke source near the detector and wait for the alarm to sound.

Maintaining Your Smoke Detectors

Proper maintenance of your smoke detectors is essential for their optimal performance.

To keep your detectors in good condition:

1. Clean the detectors regularly by vacuuming or dusting the exterior to remove any debris or cobwebs.
2. Install detectors away from vents or drafty areas to prevent false alarms.

Regular testing and maintenance of your smoke detectors are crucial in ensuring the safety of your household. By following these simple steps, you can have peace of mind knowing that your smoke detectors are working effectively.

EMC Security is committed to providing reliable security services to protect your home and loved ones. With our professional, clear, and customer-focused approach, we offer a range of security solutions tailored to your needs. Monitoring for smoke detection is no additional monthly cost. Smoke detectors start at $79.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help keep your home safe.

Smoke detectors are devices that are installed in a home for the purpose of detecting smoke, which occurs when there is an increase in temperature.

This is important because it indicates a fire, which can be potentially dangerous to your family if not handled properly. With a working smoke detector in place, you can easily detect a fire and take action to put it out before it spreads even further.

In this blog post we will discuss:

The importance of having working smoke detectors; What types of fires should cause alarm; The importance of replacing batteries regularly; Why carbon monoxide alarms may be necessary as well; How to install them and test them for accuracy regularly; How cleaning your home’s air vents can prevent fires from starting; And more…

Over 3,000 people die each year in house fires in the United States

More than half of fire-related deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors.

Working smoke detectors save lives. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that more than half of fire-related deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors.

People who live in homes with working smoke alarms are 3 times more likely to survive a home fire than those who don’t have one.

There may be as many as 200,000 annually that are reported by emergency services in the United States alone.

According to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 3,300 fires occur each year that cause an average loss of 15 lives and $44 million in property damage nationwide (2009). These fires resulted from unidentifiable sources such as unattended cooking or heating equipment use; cigarette smoking; careless disposal of smoking materials; discarded matches or lighters; burning candles/incense/flowers etc.

Smoke detectors save lives.

Smoke detectors protect property.

Smoke detectors save money.

The NFPA reports that one working smoke detector is fine for a home with no more than two bedrooms. You need at least one detector on every level of your home.

Guidelines for smoke detectors

• One should be placed near the stairwell leading up from the basement, because this is where people tend to enter or exit your home.
• Two should be installed in each bedroom on different walls (one close enough to your bed so that it wakes you up if activated). If you share a bedroom with someone else, place another one right outside each bedroom door (so there are three detectors total around each shared bedroom).
• One should go near the kitchen stove and another in its general vicinity (it doesn’t matter much where it goes here since most fires start within 6 feet of an open flame). The same goes for living room furniture: place one at least 6 feet away from any open flames like candles or fireplaces. For extra safety measurers, use motion detectors that only turn on when someone walks into their range—this will ensure they don’t always stay on without anyone noticing as they walk by during normal hours of day/night activities (and thus save energy).
• You must be able to hear the smoke alarm from all areas of your home.
• You must be able to hear the smoke alarm from all areas of your home.
• Place smoke detectors in every bedroom and on every level of the home, including the basement and attic.
• Make sure you install them near sleeping areas and not too close to kitchen appliances that may produce cooking odors or steam, which could cause false alarms.

More…

• Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and batteries replaced every six months.
• Replace batteries on all your smoke alarms every six months. An easy way to remember is to change batteries when the time changes twice per year.
• Don’t wait for the beeping to start before changing a battery—you should replace them as soon as they begin to show signs of weakness (typically after one year).

Why EMC Security monitored smoke detectors are the best option.

With EMC Security professionally monitored smoke detectors, while you’re focused on getting everyone to safety, EMC Security is contacting the fire department. As soon as we recieve the fire alarm signal, a call is made to authorites – saving ALOT of time . Additionally, if you are not in the home, the fire department will still be called, after all, if you don’t hear the smoke alarm, it doesn’t matter how many you have. Monitored smoke detectors start at just $79 each.

Let EMC Security do the heavy lifting for you – while you focus on getting everyone to safety. Monitor for fire at no additional monthly cost.

We hope that you are well-informed on the importance of smoke detectors and how they can help to save lives. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

A fire can happen in an instant.

A spark ignites into a flame; a flame erupts into a blaze; a lifetime of memories and hard work goes up in smoke; literally.

Unfortunately, EMC Security knows all too well that fire happens – even to those who think it won’t happen to them. Countless fires around Georgia start in ways home and business owners weren’t prepared for or didn’t guard against. And the result of an unchecked blaze raging through a structure is most often devastating, even with insurance.

Ask anyone who has dealt with the aftermath of a fire and they will tell you of hardship, heartache and, many times, regret. One of the biggest regrets for most is not having proper fire detection methods installed or having no one to monitor those methods.

Fire Detection Systems

Fire protection through EMC Security is a simple addition to your comprehensive alarm monitoring service.

Adding smoke or heat detectors to your home security system may very well be the best decision you make when it comes to the safety and security of your loved ones. Our 24/7 monitoring center team is technically trained to handle the detection of a fire in a way that minimizes its effect. Faster detection results in faster emergency response times.

Protect Your Business

But fires don’t just happen at home, which is why our business services are equally comprehensive. In compliance with the increasingly complex local, state and national fire codes for businesses, we protect your assets so you can feel a little more secure. Our team of security experts will ensure that your facilities are safe and in compliance with rapidly changing and increasingly complex local, state, and national requirements. As part of our inspection process, we will thoroughly test and inspect all components in accordance with NFPA standards.

The best part about our fire alert service is that your monthly monitoring cost doesn’t change when you add it to your security system with EMC Security. Our home alarm monitoring rates start as low as $16.95 a month.

Contact EMC Security to protect your home and everything you love inside, from the threat of fire today.

Our pets are part of the family and are just as vulnerable to fire as we are.

Below are a few tips to protect them in case of fire:

PREVENT YOUR PET FROM STARTING FIRES

Extinguish open flames – Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.

Remove stove knobs – A stove or cook-top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.

Invest in flameless candles – These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle.

KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE

Keep Pets Near Entrances When Away From Home – When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.

Secure Young Pets – Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.

Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling – Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets.

Since Pets Left Alone Can’t Escape a Burning Home – Consider using monitored smoke detectors which are connected to a monitoring center so emergency responders can be contacted when you’re not home. Once fire and smoke detectors are in place, EMC Security monitors for fire at no additional charge.

When considering your smoke detector, sometimes it’s challenging identifying the difference between smoke alarms.

It’s our goal to clear any questions you may have when it comes to which way you should go when it comes to smoke alarms within your home.

A fire can happen in an instant.

A spark ignites into a flame; a flame erupts into a blaze; a lifetime of memories and hard work goes up in smoke; literally.

Unfortunately, EMC Security knows all too well that fire happens – even to those who think it won’t happen to them. Countless fires around Georgia start in ways home and business owners weren’t prepared for or didn’t guard against. And the result of an unchecked blaze raging through a structure is most often devastating, even with insurance.

Ask anyone who has dealt with the aftermath of a fire and they will tell you of hardship, heartache and, many times, regret. One of the biggest regrets for most is not having proper fire detection methods installed or having no one to monitor those methods.

Fire Detection Systems

Fire protection through EMC Security is a simple addition to your comprehensive alarm monitoring service.

Adding smoke or heat detectors to your home security system may very well be the best decision you make when it comes to the safety and security of your loved ones. If your monitored smoke alarm detects smoke or fire, it will send a signal to your security panel, which will then send an alert to our 24/7 monitoring center. Our team is technically trained to handle the detection of a fire in a way that minimizes its effect. Faster detection results in faster emergency response times.

A monitored smoke detector gives you the security in knowing that the central station knows instantly that an alarm has been triggered and that it came from your master bedroom, for instance. Now as the monitoring company, we can provide proper and accurate information to the fire department when dispatching them to your home. This in turn helps them to save your home and belongings.

On the contrary, if the smoke detector is local only (not monitored), it will sound the alarm, alerting the occupants of the presence of smoke. It is up to the occupants to contact authorities, which could take up valuable time.

The best part about our fire alert service is that your monthly monitoring cost doesn’t change when you add it to your security system with EMC Security. Our home alarm monitoring rates start as low as $16.95 a month.

Contact EMC Security to protect your home and everything you love inside, from the threat of fire today.

A fire can happen in an instant.

A spark ignites into a flame; a flame erupts into a blaze; a lifetime of memories and hard work goes up in smoke; literally.

Unfortunately, EMC Security knows all too well that fire happens – even to those who think it won’t happen to them. Countless fires around Georgia start in ways home and business owners weren’t prepared for or didn’t guard against. And the result of an unchecked blaze raging through a structure is most often devastating, even with insurance.

Ask anyone who has dealt with the aftermath of a fire and they will tell you of hardship, heartache and, many times, regret. One of the biggest regrets for most is not having proper fire detection methods installed or having no one to monitor those methods.

Fire Detection Systems

Fire protection through EMC Security is a simple addition to your comprehensive alarm monitoring service. And we monitor for fire at no additional monthly cost.

Making the small investment to add professionally monitored smoke or heat detectors (from just $79) to your home security system may very well be the best decision you make when it comes to the safety and security of your loved ones.

Our 24/7 monitoring center team is technically trained to handle the detection of a fire in a way that minimizes its effect. Faster detection results in faster emergency response times.

Protect Your Business

Fires don’t just happen at home, which is why our business services are equally comprehensive. In compliance with the increasingly complex local, state and national fire codes for businesses, we protect your assets so you can feel a little more secure. Our team of security experts will ensure that your facilities are safe and in compliance with rapidly changing and increasingly complex local, state, and national requirements. As part of our inspection process, we will thoroughly test and inspect all components in accordance with NFPA standards.

The best part about our fire alert service is that your monthly monitoring cost doesn’t change when you add it to your security system with EMC Security. Our home alarm monitoring rates start as low as $16.95 a month.

Contact EMC Security to protect your home and everything you love inside, from the threat of fire today.

Every Moment Counts. Especially when there’s a fire. Criminals are selective about what they take, but a fire takes it all. It’s important to have the proper equipment in your home to protect yourself and your loved once should a fire occur.

The independent review site, Safewise.com, interviewed fire-fighters to determine which fire extinguisher they’d recommend.

Their pick: Amerex B402.

Amerex B402 is one of the most recommended fire extinguishers on the market, and its steel casing and aluminum valves make it durable enough to withstand a fire and be recharged for future use.

Other top contenders:

• First Alert Standard Home Fire Extinguisher: Best for Budget
• The Fireman Fire Extinguishing Spray: Best for Convenience
• First Alert Tundra Spray: Portable Pick
• Kidde ABC Multipurpose Fire Extinguisher: Disposable Pick

Types of Fires Extinguishers & Ratings

Before you purchase a fire extinguisher, it’s important to understand the different types of fires. Chemical fire extinguishers are filled with different fire suppressants, and choosing a type of extinguisher with the wrong contents could actually make a fire worse (like throwing water on a grease fire).

Household fires fall under three classifications, depending on the type of fuel burning. The most common fire extinguisher classifications are A, B, C, and K. Class A-B-C fire extinguishers will handle most household fires, but just to be on the safe side, it’s smart to also have a K-rated fire extinguisher on hand for your kitchen.

• Class A: Solid combustible materials that are not metals, like wood, paper, cloth, plastics, and rubber.
• Class B: Flammable liquids, like gasoline, oil, grease, and paints.
• Class C: Electrical equipment, like appliances and outlets.
• Class K: Cooking oils and greases, animal fats, and vegetable fats.

Where to Store Your Fire Extinguisher

It is best to store your extinguisher in your kitchen, 5–8 feet from potential fire sources like deep fat fryers, fireplaces, or clothes dryers. This way you can access them quickly and safely in case of a fire.

Make sure that there is always a fire extinguisher no farther than 40 feet away from any location in your home.

While it’s very important to have a fire extinguisher readily available in your home, it’s equally important to have smoke detectors installed. EMC Security recommends installing at least one monitored smoke detector outside the bedrooms. This way, if there’s a fire, we’ll work to get you the help you need, while you can concentrate on getting your loved ones to safety.

EMC Security monitors for fire at no additional monthly cost.

The room was fully ablaze in 3 minutes.

A recent Good Morning America investigation demonstrated how much more vulnerable today’s modern home is to fire than its older counterparts.

A group of researchers set a fully furnished 12×16 foot room (similar to one found in a modern, open floor plan) on fire to see how long it took for the room to reach a “flash point,” or the moment in a room where everything is engaged in a fire. The result? The room was fully ablaze in 3 minutes.

Read below for tips on how you can prevent this from happening in your home.

1. The first safety tip is a simple one that many homeowners forget—close the interior doors. When each room is compartmentalized, fire has less room and oxygen and grows more slowly, giving the family more time to get out safely. Get into the habit of closing doors (especially bedroom doors) at bedtime.

2. Get fire resistant clothing and furniture. When you’re shopping for new furniture or appliances, check the manufacturer’s label to see if the item has been tested for its resistance to fire.

3. Dense, heavy, solid materials will burn more slowly, so consider the heft of building materials if you’re building or remodeling a home. Heavier doors, handles, and non-synthetic construction materials will slow the spread of flames.

4. Create a fire escape plan. As the safety window for escaping a home fire shrinks, it’s more important that ever to create a fire escape plan for your family that includes two exit points for every room, and a plan for meeting up outside. An escape ladder is a must for 2nd floor bedrooms.

5. The NUMBER ONE thing you can do to protect your home: install a fire monitoring system. EMC Security monitoring includes fire monitoring, starting at $16.95 per month. With the purchase of a monitored smoke detector (from $79) you can help save your home and everyone inside.

Call 770-963-0305 and schedule a free consultation to find the fire monitoring and intrusion alarm system that fits your home and your family.