Dear Heather,

I have just bought a home and I notice there are no smoke alarms or fire extinguishers, what would you recommend?

Fire Safety Conscious

Dear Fire Safety Conscious,

This is the time of year that people should be sure that fire safety in their home is adequate. US statistics indicate that more than 70 per cent of those who died in fires in 2014 died in their homes. A sobering thought, since we think of “home” as the safest place we can be. This is the time of year where we are using more heaters, open fires, cooking more, etc and therefore tends to be the time of year that we should be more vigilant. Although it goes without saying that a fire can happen at any time. We are used to working in buildings, shopping in buildings, staying in hotels and being in all kinds of other buildings where we, correctly, take fire safety for granted. All have sprinklers, but the home is the final frontier: how do we protect ourselves against the home fire threat?

Burns, injury or death in home fires can be dramatically reduced when homeowners and their families make two simple decisions to take action to protect themselves and everyone in the home:

1. Have working smoke alarms to warn at the first sign of fire. Dead or missing batteries mean no alarm will sound if a fire starts. Regularly test batteries to ensure the alarm is ready to sound. Replace batteries each year — January 1st and Halloween are popular annual change dates. Recommendations are a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area. Ask yourself this? Will your fire insurance company pay a claim if smoke alarms were absent, of insufficient number, or not working?

2. Create a fire-escape plan and share it with your family and overnight guests. Think about it. Fire drill practice regularly occurs at work and school. Why do you think you’re safe at home without fire drills and escape plans? Because you know the place so well? Not true if you or your children have less than two minutes to get out.

It is a good idea to walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Consider drawing a floor plan of your home, perhaps with help from your children, which indicates two ways out of each room — including windows and doors — and an exterior meeting place. Add smoke alarm locations and fire extinguisher locations. Know how to use a fire extinguisher; the Fire Department offers short courses if you are in any doubt.

Remind children never to re-enter the house to retrieve toys or pets; logical thinking tends to go askew in an emergency. Discuss keeping low, or placing a towel or article of clothing over noses and mouths to avoid smoke inhalation.

Commit to these life-saving decisions, install working smoke alarms and fire extinguishers and make escape plans with your family, and you’ve made one huge choice: to give everyone in your home the advantage of time and forethought and knowledge to help them get out of a fire safely.

•Heather Chilvers is among Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty’s leading sales representatives. She has been working in real estate for 25 years. If you have a question for Heather, please contact her at hchilvers@brcl.bm or 332-1793. All questions will be treated in confidence. Read this article on Facebook: Ask Heather Real Estate