Posts

Up In Smoke: New England Arsonists Get Bolder

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Up In Smoke: New England Arsonists Get BolderIt was a quiet June day on Dexter Street in Providence, Rhode Island when arsonist Shantey Nared approached a vacant house and set it ablaze. The home next door was also damaged as Shantey fled the scene — thanks to video surveillance, he was later caught and now faces a charge of first-degree arson, according to NBC 10 News.

For New England business and homeowners, however, this kind of daylight arson presents significant risk: how do your protect your property from the unexpected (and often random) crime of arson?

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Fire Safety for Older Adults

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Fire Safety for Older AdultsAn elderly couple in Methuen, Mass. died after a two-alarm blaze swept through their ranch-style home at the end of February, according to Boston.com.

The fire broke out about 3 a.m. on February 26, quickly engulfing the single-family structure. The man and woman were found in separate parts of the home after the fire had been extinguished, according to State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan.

Coan told the newspaper that since January 1st, 11 people had died in fires in Massachusetts – five of the victims had been elderly.

Additionally in February, a couple in their 80s died in a house fire in Concord, Mass., and a 90-year-old South Boston man died from injuries he suffered in a fire in his apartment.

“This has been a difficult year,” Coan told Boston.com. “The elderly population has been vulnerable in these fires.”

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How to Prevent Smoking-related Fires in the Home

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

You’ve probably heard the stories about people who have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette in their hand and woken up to a house on fire — or who have been pulled out of the charred remains of their home by a fire crew. Those aren’t tall tales: each year, the U.S. Fire Administration documents close to 1,000 cases of individuals killed in home fires started by cigarettes.

cigaretteRecently, a Westfield, Massachusetts woman was killed by cigarette smoking near a home oxygen system. The fire not only took her life, but caused significant damage to the downtown apartment complex. While smoking should NEVER take place near highly flammable materials such as oxygen systems, fires often still occur in homes without obvious risks.

Aside from quitting smoking, there are a few ways you can try to reduce the chances that you will ever have to deal with a home fire caused by a lit cigarette. Read more →

Home Security: Stay Safe while Cooking

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Cooking is one of the more dangerous activities that we regularly take part in inside our homes without ever really thinking about it from a risk perspective. Objectively, it seems obvious: anytime you deal with an open flame, or a hot surface, you are creating a situation where a fire or serious burns could occur.

kitchenfireEven if you think you’re careful in the kitchen, young children in your house often aren’t quite as safety-minded as you are when it comes to interacting with the various appliances and utensils used in the modern home.

Fortunately, it’s easy to stay safe while cooking. Let’s look at a few tips that can prevent injury while making dinner: Read more →