Be Prepared and Safe This Winter
What does a picture of flowers have to do with the title of this blog you might be wondering? Well, nothing really! I just enjoy capturing pretty pictures of flowers! A good caption for this picture is ‘October Flowers Holding On’…. Many of the flowers in the yard have bit the dust for this year, however there are some still hanging in there! This picture was taken by our walkway in the front. We will continue to enjoy them until there is a freeze. (Which, by the way, as I write this there is a freeze warning in the top right corner of the TV). Freezing brings me to the purpose of this blog: heat and safety.
October Is Fire Prevention Month. According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), heating is listed as a top cause of house fires. As the weather gets colder and we all begin to turn on the heat, we must take the time to follow these guidelines to be safe.
- Have your furnace inspected on a yearly basis by professionals.
- If you have a fireplace, make sure the flue is cleaned out before starting a fire in it. Creosote builds up in your chimney, and it doesn’t take much for a chimney fire to start. Get your chimney inspected by a professional.
- If you use a space heater, please click here and take a moment to read about space heater safety from our friends at PuroClean.
- Make sure you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Now is the time to check your heating systems to make sure they are ready for the arrival of cold weather! First Alert has some other helpful safety tips for fire prevention. Click here for those! We want you to be prepared and be safe this winter!
Jane Freeman is licensed in Property and Casualty Insurance at Peck and Wood Insurance.