As the head of your household, the thought of something happening to your family is inconceivable. However, your family may be vulnerable while they are inside of your home when it comes to weather-related threats. At AFI Insurance, we recommend that you take the following steps to protect your family in each room of your home.
Equip each room with emergency lights. Having the ability to see during an outage can protect you from other dangers. You should outfit each room in your home with battery-operated lighting to keep everyone safe.
Place emergency kits strategically throughout your home. The number of emergency kits you have and the contents of each depends on your family’s needs. With at least two emergency kits in your home for a family, a four will help you ensure they are safe during a weather-related emergency. One kit in your kitchen and another in your bathroom will allow any family member to access easily each kit when it’s needed.
Store extra food and water in the kitchen. It’s not enough to simply have more food than you need in your kitchen at any time. You must deliberately pack a kit full of extra food and water so that you will have enough for a few days. Relying on the food you have in the refrigerator will not work during a power outage, since it could spoil.
In addition to extra food, placing a fire extinguisher in your kitchen will help you in the event of fire.
Purchase communication devices. When you know what is going on, you have a better idea of how to protect your family. You should have a radio and a corded phone in your living room.
Protect your family with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. In your entryway and near each of your bedrooms, you should have a smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. With these devices strategically placed near bedrooms, even sleeping family members will spring awake at the sound of the alarms.
Additionally, homes with multi-levels should have a prepared exit strategy for individuals that may become trapped in their rooms. Exit strategies should include emergency ladders, extra blankets, and emergency lighting.
At AFI Insurance, we do all we can to ensure our families are protected, including offering homeowner’s insurance. If you are paying too much for your existing policy, take a look at the features included in our policy on our website.