Mr. Handyman Recognizes National Fire Prevention Week
Company Added
Company Removed
Apply to Request List

Mr. Handyman Recognizes National Fire Prevention Week

Handyman franchise stresses to residents the importance of keeping your home safe from fires

Ann Arbor, MI (Grassroots Newswire) <October 1, 2007> -- According to the most recent study by the National Fire Protection Association, about 82 percent of all civilian fire deaths result from a fire in the home. The same study also found that a civilian fire death occurs every two hours and 23 minutes. To help curb those startling figures, Mr. Handyman offers advice to residents in recognition of National Fire Prevention Week taking place October 7 – 13.

"The facts surrounding these tragedies are horrific. But, the real tragedy is what we don't learn from the headlines. How many of us will go home and practice our fire escape plan or test our smoke alarms? It should be the first thing we think of when we hear of people, especially children, losing their lives in house fires," said Todd Recknagel, president of the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Mr. Handyman International.

National Fire Prevention Week (NFPW) always falls on the week of October 9th to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. This issue is so important that in 1925 The President of the United States signed a proclamation declaring a national observance of National Fire Prevention Week every year.

Recknagel offers the following tips on fire prevention, detection, suppression and escape:

Prevention
• Keep matches and lighters out of sight and reach of children.

• Never leave a candle unattended and keep flames at least three feet away from curtains, furniture or other flammable materials.

• Keep fuel or liquid that can catch on fire, like gasoline, propane, or kerosene, in a safe container outside of the home in a garage or shed.

• If anyone in your home smokes, use heavy, non-tip ashtrays and make sure all cigarettes/cigars are fully extinguished.

• Discard frayed or cracked electrical cords.

• Clean your dryer vent annually.

Detection
• Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level (even the basement).

• Check to make sure all smoke alarm batteries work. Then, check again every six months. Remember, if your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, replace it.

• Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings. Smoke rises! • Never remove a battery or disarm a smoke alarm.

• Make sure everyone in your home knows the sound of the smoke alarm, what to do next and that the alarm is loud enough to wake up sleeping children and adults.

Suppression
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy in fire-prone areas, like the kitchen and garage, for small fires. Make sure to keep it away from the stove, which may make it inaccessible during a grease fire.

• No matter how small the fire, if you can't extinguish it immediately, get out!

Escape
• Identify two SAFE ways out of every room in the house, especially upstairs. Draw these exits on a map and place a copy in every room.

• Practice fire escape drills twice a year. Have everyone practice escaping every room in the house and practice crawling low under smoke.

• Pick an outside meeting place where everyone can gather after they've escaped. Remember to mark this spot on your fire escape map!

• Keep doors, stairways and other exits clear of toys, furniture and other clutter.

• Close the door behind you. This will slow the spread of fire and smoke. For more information about Mr. Handyman and how the company can help you prevent a home fire, please visit www.mrhandyman.com.

About Mr. Handyman
Mr. Handyman is a network of independently owned and operated franchises with over 270 locations in 37 states that provide commercial and residential property maintenance and repair services. Founded in March 2000, Mr. Handyman is a member of Service Brands International, a group of service companies that provide a variety of timesaving services ideally suited for today's active customer.

###

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus
Share This Page

Subscribe to our Newsletters