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New York City’s best homes come with many great perks. Maybe your place is in a great neighborhood with spacious parks. Maybe you opted for a spot near the nightlife, or went for a spectacular view. No matter how great of a deal you got or how amazing the space is, every one needs to be aware of the potential threat of fire.
Across the country, fire kills more people every year than any other disaster. New York City alone experiences about 3,000 fires a year that are big enough to be considered “all hands” calls by the New York City Fire Department.
City dwellers have to be extra aware of the hazards because the potential for harm isn’t just contained to your home. In many cases, especially in older buildings and in neighborhoods where walls abut, everyone in the neighborhood could be at risk if a fire starts anywhere in it.
Here are four home fire safety tips to protect yourself and your belongings.
1. Have an Escape Plan
Everyone in every building should know how to keep themselves safe in case they smell smoke or the alarms go off.
Know how to operate your exterior fire escape if your building is equipped with one, and make sure everyone in your home is aware of more than one route out of the building in case disaster strikes. Your home’s escape plan should also include a meeting place outside the building so everyone can be accounted for during an emergency.
2. Check Your Electrical Cords and Wiring
According to the FDNY, overloaded electrical outlets and poorly used or frayed extension cords are one of the four major causes of NYC fires, along with candles, careless smoking and kitchen fires.
Check all the wires in your house for signs of fraying. Don’t run extension cords under rugs and carpets or into adjoining rooms. If an outlet or switch shows any signs of wear or disrepair, such as sparking when you plug something into it or flip the switch, get it replaced and have your wiring checked.
3. Be Wary in the Kitchen
It’s not surprising that a high proportion of fires start in the kitchen with its combination of heat, grease and flame-attracting towels and curtains.
Unattended cooking is the number one cause of kitchen fires, according to the National Fire Prevention Association, so stay in the kitchen while you cook and use timers to alert you before something overcooks and burns.
Keep the stovetop clear of containers, paper and towels, and keep the area around your burners clean. If a grease fire does start, don’t try to douse it with water as this will only spread the flames. Use a fire extinguisher, ideally, or smother the flames with a pot lid if the fire is still contained within the cookware.
4. Maintain Your Safety Equipment
Make sure your smoke detectors work by replacing the batteries at least twice a year, and don’t disable the alarm. If the alarm goes off too often, consider adjusting its settings if possible, or try moving it to a different spot if it’s too close to a stovetop or a steamy shower.
If you don’t have one, get at least one fire extinguisher and check it regularly to make sure it’s charged. Keep it somewhere near the stovetop, but not directly under it. That is the most likely place you will have to use your extinguisher, and you don’t want to have to fish through the flames to get to it.
If your building has a sprinkler system and standpipes, great, but make sure they are checked regularly to ensure they will work if the need arises.
Speaking of building maintenance, finding a building that is up to modern standards and maintained by professional staff is a great starting point for safety. Dixon Leasing strives to keep all of its tenant spaces up to the highest standards in some of the metropolitan area’s finest neighborhoods. Make sure to keep these safety tips in mind to keep your dream home safe.
