The following is a press release from the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.
It’s time to start thinking about and making your resolutions for the new year.
Yes, it’s great to promise that you’ll make it to the gym every day for the next year or that you’ll give up chocolate, but very hard to follow through. So, let’s make a list of accomplishments that are easy to meet and may keep you and your family safe.
10 Resolutions for 2018
• Take down every smoke alarm in your home and check the manufacturing date. If older than 10 years, replace it. And while you have them down, change the battery and vacuum them out.
• Ensure your home has its street address visible from the street to aid police and firefighters in case they need to reach you. Having your address stenciled on the street is not a safe or legal substitute.
• If you have a fire extinguisher, pull it out from under the sink where it’s hiding behind the cleaning supplies and check the label to see if it needs to be serviced or replaced. You can dispose of old fire extinguishers at recycle events or with any fire extinguisher company.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Clean out the plastic grills of bathroom and laundry room ceiling fans.
• Clean the oven of the grease buildup. Use the self-cleaning feature or a household cleaner to reduce the chance of a fire in your oven.
• Try putting on your vehicle’s tire chains even if it’s not snowing, just so you know how. Show others in your home as well. You might consider doing this one before 2018.
• Consider having the dryer, furnace, fireplace, woodstove and other heat generating appliances serviced.
• Move to the RIGHT if approached by a vehicle with emergency signals operating and come to a complete stop. Along the same line, change lanes and slow down to give emergency vehicles plenty of room if you approach them while they’re stopped on a roadway. By the way, it’s the law.
• Hit the gym, even if it’s not every day
5 Short and Sweet Resolutions
• Drive sober.
• Wear your seatbelt.
• Drive, don’t text.
• Slow down.
• Get a physical.
