We should start seeing life a little differently and start using the tools that can allow us to survive during unfortunate events. Exhibit A: get a smoke detector. Smoke detectors are important because, well, it should be self-explanatory, but since most don’t know what this is, smoke detectors will sound even when low on battery if they detect smoke. The way a smoke detector works is when the smoke gets near the detector, the detector becomes blind, is not able to see light rays completely, and then goes into alert. The sound is reasonably loud and might wake you up during the night to tell you that your house is on fire somewhere. Some smoke detectors will even speak to you, stating that there is a fire and to exit immediately. Some may even send you an alert to your phone, saying what zone is going off so that you can provide additional information to the dispatcher on where the fire is located. You should have your smoke detectors also inspected by yourself or simply get a few new ones every once in a while. They may not be appealing on the wall but, hey, would you rather be alive and have no more wall, or be dead and have no wall? Hopefully, the answer is obvious. 

You should also start sleeping with your door closed! This could honestly save your life in the event of a fire in the middle of the night. Most rooms have windows, and those windows could be used as an escape path, but whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR! The science behind a fire is simple; fire is made up of a triangle: fuel, heat & oxygen. Fire follows a flow path, and this flow path is just oxygen. For instance, you could have a two-story house, where the second floor is on fire. If you open your basement door and keep it open trying to escape, the oxygen will go straight to the fire and you will have caused just a second-floor-contained fire to become a fully-engulfed house fire. Take these small precautions to make sure you will be safe when it comes to this! 

Have an escape plan that has been set by you and your family. These plans can include meeting points outside the house, leaving the house without getting hurt, and making sure everyone is accounted for! These plans are simple and can be created with just little to no inconvenience to your time! 

** DO YOUR PART AND MAKE SURE YOU & YOUR FAMILY ARE SAFE!