One of the most popular shows on TV right now is This Is Us. For two seasons we have all speculated on how the father, Jack, passes away (#notaspoileralert) The most recent episode hinted that it might be a house fire (#spoileralert)

I have to say this hit close to home seeing as not one, but two houses on my street have caught fire in the last four years. Both times, I told myself I would get our family “fire ready”. But did I? Of course not. Watching the fire blaze on my favorite fictional TV show? I’m finally motivated to take action. Go figure.

So, while we all anxiously await for the Super Bowl to be OVER so we can watch the newest episode and see what happens to our beloved Jack, here’s some important steps we can take to ensure our households are prepped in case fire breaks out in real life.

TODAY:

– Photograph each room in your home. The easiest way to do this is to take good pictures of all 4 walls in each room. Don’t forget the closets or the garage! Write down larger items and their approximate value. Save this file physically and electronically. Set a reminder on your phone to do this annually.

– Make sure all your smoke alarms are installed and functioning! Set a reminder on your phone to do this every month!  Tedious? Yes. Could it save your life? Definitely. So it’s worth the effort.

THIS WEEK:

– Draw up an escape plan. Do a fire drill with your family (schedule it at the same time you test your smoke alarms!). Make sure everyone is clear on the escape plans and a safe place to meet up. This is an excellent resource: Basic Fire Escape Planning.

– Make sure your homeowners insurance is up to date and the cost of rebuilding has been updated with current costs. If you are a renter – GET RENTER’S INSURANCE.

– Buy a fire extinguisher – one for each floor of your house. Place them in easily accessible locations!

THIS MONTH:

– Put all your important papers in a fireproof safe. Passports, Social Security Cards, Marriage documents. Make sure they are easily accessible. Here’s a great link to several very affordable ones!

– Back up your phones and computers to an external hard drive, and somewhere in the cloud. Set a reminder on your phone to do this quarterly.

Yeah, planning for fire readiness isn’t very fun or exciting, but it’s a worthy investment of your time and energy!