Is Your Home Protected Against Carbon Monoxide and Fire?

This post is sponsored by First Alert Canada and the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. All opinions are my own.

I know carbon monoxide and fire protection isn’t exactly the most exciting topic, but it’s important because it’s about keeping you and your family safe. Chances are you’ll learn a few things as well because I certainly did.

**What Does It Really Mean To Be Protected?**

To be honest, I thought that I was covered when it comes to having the proper amount of carbon monoxide and smoke alarms installed in my home, but boy was I ever wrong!

The National Fire Protection Association has the following recommendations when it comes to ensuring that your home is equipped properly:

Smoke alarms should be installed in each bedroom as well as every level of your home which includes the basement (one of the most forgotten areas) and in the central areas
Carbon monoxide alarms should be on each level of your home, and in central areas as well

Sadly the majority of people do not act on these recommendations. It is estimated that 35% of Canadians don’t have a carbon monoxide detector installed in any part of their home and the majority of homes don’t have the recommended amount of smoke alarms installed either.

First Alert Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms

First Alert has several different carbon monoxide and smoke alarms to fit your household needs.

It used to be that batteries on alarms needed to be changed every 6 months, however, there have been some great advancements. Many of the First Alert carbon monoxide and smoke alarms come equipped with a 10-year sealed lithium battery.

It is recommended that you still test your alarms every 6 months to ensure everything is in working order. First Alert alarms come equipped with a convenient test button just for this and you don’t have to worry about dead or disconnected batteries.

Fast Facts

The truth is that you probably know of at least one person who has had a fire in their home. When it comes to smoke alarms the Canadian National Fire Information Database reports that 80% of fire deaths that occur in homes, happen where there are no working smoke alarms. This risk of dying is cut in half when working smoke alarms are installed.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning, which is also known as the invisible killer due to the invisible, odourless and colourless gas is responsible for 300 deaths in Canada a year. It’s also considered the number one cause of accidental poisoning. Plain and simple, the only way to detect carbon monoxide in your home is with an alarm.

If you can’t remember how old your carbon monoxide or smoke alarm is, or when you last changed the battery, it’s best to replace them entirely.

When it comes to your home and being safe your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms are probably the furthermost from your mind but they really are one of the most important things. Make sure you are following First Alert on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up-to-date on all things carbon monoxide and smoke alarm safety.

Whether it means that you need to set an alarm on your phone or write it on the calendar making sure that your alarms are in working order is the best things that you can do for your whole family.