Every year October marks National Fire Prevention Month which is perfect time due to the cooler months approaching with many individuals beginning to start turning on furnaces or striking up the fireplaces in their homes. The prevention month is a great way for Fire Departments to promote various fire safety messages to their communities.

“A couple of things on fireplaces, make sure that you don’t have combustibles around the fireplace but one of the things that people often forget is having their chimney cleaned,” said Price City Fire Chief Paul Bedont. “We go to a number of fires every year where people just haven’t thought about having their chimney cleaned.” Some important reasons for regular cleaning and inspections are to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, improve flue efficiency and increase the longevity of masonry features.

Another important safety precaution for homeowners to remember is to be sure to have a good working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors. “They have detectors now that actually can record your voice, they have detectors that are called interlinked so they use a radio wave to interconnect to all of them. So, if one detector goes off they all go off, those are really important if you have multiple floors in your home,” stated Chief Bedont. Both detectors prevent life-threatening dangers that often times are silent and come without warning to occupants in the home. They should receive monthly tests and replacement of batteries each year. Many individuals use the daylight savings time as a reminder to upkeep their smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors.

Going hand in hand with the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are the maintenance of the home’s furnace. “I would always suggest that you have your furnace clean and inspected by a professional. Every year we get more and more carbon monoxide calls from what we call a broken combustion chamber on a furnace and those are things that a furnace technician can find long before you have a problem,” explained Chief Bedont. The benefits of maintenance can help keep lower heating costs, provide high-quality comfort, decrease the risk of breakdowns and longer service from the home’s furnace.

Any questions or concerns about fire safety contact any member of the Price City Fire Department at 636-3187.