Emergency Tip: Holiday Fire Safety

With REAL CANDLES on our Christmas tree every year,
we have stepped up our fire safety plan!

Having a German mother, I've grow up with candles on our Christmas tree, plus German decorations that use candles and fire such as Pyramiden and Räuchermänner. We learned at an early age that candles are not something to take lightly, but can be very beautiful when you are careful.

I've now continued this tradition in my own home, and while it sounds scary at first, we are just as careful as my parents were, sometimes even more so.

Holiday Safety Tips for Everyone (not just the crazy ones with real candles on their tree!)

The Tree

1. Buy a fresh tree if you can, cutting one down at a tree farm is the best. See this video comparing the flamabilty of the dry tree vs. a fresh one!
2. Your tree should be cut at an angle again once you get it home and immediately placed in water.
3. Place your tree away from sources of heat. (Such as candles!)
4. Use only non-flammable decorations.
5. Use only UL-approved lighting.
6. Inspect your lights for frayed/damaged wires before decorating.
7. Do not leave your tree lights on unattended.
8. Keep your tree stand full of water at all times.
9. Once you notice your tree drying out, be even more vigelant and discard as soon as possible.

DISCLAIMER - Don't Try This at Home: Yes, we do put real candles on our live Christmas tree every year. But the tree is freshly cut, it is a breed that is strong enough to hold the candles, the tree is not trimmed - so there are many branches that stick out - allowing candles to be placed without limbs above the flame, the candles are small and designed to fit into special metal clips, we only light the tree on special occasions with many adults watching the candles, and NEVER leave the tree alone once the candles are lit. 

Important: Tree fires get out of control amazingly fast - this YouTube video proves it - keep it watered and free of sources of ignition. If it does catch fire, don't be a hero - get you and your family out and call 911 from outside your home.

Battery-operated flameless candles can look &
smell like real candles.

Candles

1. Candles add a festive mood to your holidays, but be very careful this time of year - wrapping paper and decorations can easily catch fire, depending on where your candles are placed.
2. If you do use lit candles, make sure they are in stable holders, and place them where they cannot be knocked down easily.
3. Avoid leaving candles burning unattended. Even those in glass containers, such as "Yankee Candles", can be dangerous if something flammable falls on top of them.
     -  Falling asleep was a factor in 11% percent of the home candle fires and 37% of the associated deaths. 
4. Consider using battery-operated flameless candles. Today's models can look, smell and feel like real candles.

I really hope you have a fun and safe holiday season - we're going to keep the fire extinguishers close and only light the few candles on our tree on special nights, with many adults focused on each candle!

For more information on holiday fire safety, please visit the National Fire Protection Association's Holiday Safety site.

Friday's Emergency Tip: Kid Plans

Talk with your family this weekend and figure out plans
for various situations. 

Not every event is a major catastrophe, but you should still plan

Back on 9/11, I wrote about Family Communications Plans. These plans were focused on major events and reaching distant family and friends - not the immediate, local family.

But recently I was reminded by a neighbor with younger children that events happen every day that are not real emergencies, but would be much less stressful if a plan was thought out first.

Events such as:

• Child arriving home to an empty, locked house
   - Do they have a key?
   - Can they stay in the backyard?
   - If it's winter, which neighbor should they go to? 
• Child lost in a mall
   - Who should they ask for help?
   - Do they know your cell #?
• Child left at school
   - During normal hours, there are always administrators with family contact info, but what about after hours: sports, drama club, band?
   - How can your child call you? Do they have their own phone or can they borrow a friend's?
   - Should they go home with a neighbor? 
• Child hurt outside
   - If there are no adults present, what will they do?
   - How will your child get help or help the other injured person?
• Fire at home
   - This is a real emergency that must be planned for.
   - When was the last time you held an actual fire drill at home?
   - Does every room have 2 ways to get out?
   - What if an adult is not home? Do your children know what to do? Where to go?

These are just a few events to think about and plan for. Each family and home is different, so every family's planning process will be different. The important thing is to regularly talk about possible events and how you and your family would deal with each one.

There are many excellent family emergency plans out on the web. I've linked to a few below:

• Ready.gov's Family Emergency Plan Site - has links to an excellent Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids (PDF) with forms for phone numbers, meeting spots and fire drills.
• Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's Make a Plan Site - contains checklists and links to a great Family Emergency Plan (PDF) with info lists and contact cards for the whole family.

Friday's Emergency Tip: Protecting Your Documents

Store your important docs in a waterproof file folder case.
Then they are organized, protected and portable.

When an emergency hits and you have to get out of your house in a hurry, do you have all your important documents ready to go?

I'll have to be honest - we have some of our important documents together in a file folder - but many other important items are scattered in various filing cabinets around our home.

The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit

21 Page PDF with checklists you can fill out
and then save or print.

I recently found this extremely well written and organized document from FEMA: the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit. 

Download this file and use its various checklists to build a complete collection of family information and important documents. You can then store the completed PDF digitally in a secure online location or print it out and add it to your document case (see first image at top of this page).

It's also an excellent practice to make copies of your main personal and financial documents. After using the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit to gather all your prime documents together, visit your local library or copy center - just remember to check the backside of your documents for important info that may need to be copied as well. Then seal them in a large document envelope and have either your lawyer or a trusted friend/relative hold onto this package for you. 

I hope this info helps you with your document prep efforts. I know I'm going to use this new "First Aid Kit" tool in the upcoming week to really fill up what's in my portable document case. 

For additional emergency preparation tips, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's site @ www.fema.gov

For my Massachusetts friends, please visit the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's site for excellent preparation info and updates.

Friday's Emergency Tip: Power Plans

Our trusty 5,000 watt gasoline generator that ran 8 days

straight during Massachusetts' 2008 Ice Storm!  

As you read in my earlier posts, my main concerns during storms are power issues.

And as our friends in Buffalo,NY, New Hampshire, and Maine can attest, winter's here!

For those of us still with power and not totally covered in snow, it's time to get planning - ASAP.

Everyone needs a "Power Plan"

A Power Plan is a vital part of your overall emergency plan.

You need to be prepared with a plan on how you deal with heating issues, preventing frozen pipes, food storage, etc. when you lose power.

For this article, I'm going to focus on a Home Power Plan. Business power plans will be covered in a later post.

Your Power Plan Requirements break down into two categories:

1. Critical Needs
2. Comfort Needs

Critical Power Needs

1. Keeping your home from being damaged due to burst water pipes.
2. Keeping your home warm enough to shelter in place.
3. Preventing your food from spoiling.

Comfort Power Needs

1. Lighting your home.
2. Being able to cook.
3. Powering entertainment devices. (You'll need to keep the kids from rioting during a long storm.)

If your home or office has a generator, the planning process is a little easier, but still requires some thought.

No generator equals some increased creative planning to minimize the effect of power loss.

Power Plan Template for a Location with a  Generator
Things to consider:

1. Testing & Maintenance: When was the last time you ran the generator? With gasoline and diesel models, the fuel can go bad fairly quickly. Even propane models should be tested periodically. Also, when did you last change the oil in your generator?
2. Keeping the generator running: Do you have enough fuel on hand to keep it running for at least 48 hours? Do you have oil and supplies to change the oil (if needed) during that first 48 hours?
3. Location: Where is the generator stored? Is it ready to run right there or does it need to be moved?
4. Electrical connection: Do you have a Transfer Switch or will you run extension cords to all your important devices? Have you actually tested the transfer switch or actually run all your externsion cords to the devices you need - do they all reach?    

Power Plan Template for a Location without a Generator
Things to consider:

1. Does my neighbor have a generator? Are we close enough for me to run a heavy duty extension cord over to my house - just to power my furnace?
2. Can I borrow a generator?  Do friends or family have a generator that I can borrow? How do I get it from them? When should I get it - before a big storm or after, once the weather clears? What else do I need to connect this generator to my home? (See points above in the " with a Generator" section.)
3. Where will my family go if we don't have heat for an extended period? Do we stay with neighbors that have power/heat? Do we stay at a shelter? Do we leave the area and stay with friends/family?
4. How will I prepare my home during the winter if we must evacuate due to power/heat loss? Do I need to drain my heating system or let my faucets run a little to prevent burst pipes?
5. What will I do with my food that may spoil? Can I cook on my grill? Can I put food in coolers outside in the snow? Can I bring food to my neighbors who have power?

IMPORTANT: If you are relying on neighbors or friends to help you during a power loss, involve them now in your planning process. Having conversations such as: "We have no heat, can we sleep on your living room floor?" or "Can we borrow your extra generator?" are much easier to have when the weather is good vs. during a winter emergency. Also, it will give you the peace of mind that all these details have been sorted out before a winter storm hits. Finally, reach out to those whom you depend on prior to each major event, just to check that your agreements are still valid. You'd hate to rely on a neighbor that is away on vacation or has lent his generator to someone else last week, etc.

I hope you are warm and safe during this Thanksgiving week. And for that matter, for the entire winter season as well.

For more information on how to prepare in advance for a power outage, please visit the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's site.

Friday's Emergency Tip: Winter Car Kits

What I carry in my Jeep during the winter - I need to add 

another sleeping bag and more water & food...

All the reports of people stuck in their cars in Upstate New York and the Great Lakes area due to this week's freak snow storms got me thinking: 

"Are we ready to be stuck in our car for up to 24 hours?"

Winter Car Kits

You should always carry in your car some basic tools, a first aid kit, a flashlight, and your cell phone charger - but during the winter, it's time to ramp things up.

And I'm not saying you should rush out and go on a shopping spree at your local Army/Navy store. You probably have many of the following items already, just not in your car.

And they don't have to be in a huge duffle bag either - all the items shown above fit easily into my Jeep - by spreading all these things around and utilizing the spaces under seats and the corners of my trunk.

Here's a great list that I borrowed from MEMA that you can use to build your own kit:

• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Charged cell phone/automobile charger
• Basic first-aid kit
• Necessary medications
• Pocket knife
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Extra clothes (include rain gear, boots, mittens, socks)
• High-calorie, non-perishable foods (dried fruits, nuts, canned food)
• Manual can opener
• Container of water
• Windshield scraper & brush
• Fire extinguisher
• Shovel
• Sand/road salt/cat litter for generating traction
• Tire chains or traction mats
• Basic tool kit (pliers, wrench, screwdriver)
• Tow rope
• Battery jumper cables
• Road flares/reflectors
• Brightly colored cloth to utilize as a flag
• Road maps

If you're missing an item or two, make a gift to yourself this month when you're holiday shopping, either at the mall or online!

For more tips on safe winter driving, visit the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) site.

Photo credit: Patrick W. O'Connor

Friday's Emergency Prep Tip: Automatic Power Failure Lights

One of our Sylvania LED Power Failure Lights.

Today I'm starting a new series of tech tips focused on inexpensive items that really help during an emergency.

We All Need Light

What's your most immediate need at night when the power goes out?
Light of course! 

Background: I was sick of having to feel my way in the dark to the one flashlight in the house only to find out the batteries were dead.

A few years ago, I found this light at Lowe's.  I was so impressed, I returned the next week and bought 6 more.

Sylvania Power Failure Light with LED Technology 

This unit's main feature is that it's a LED nightlight with a rechargeable battery and flashlight built in.

• It's nightlight has an automatic on/off sensor and is cool to the touch.
• It has built-in rechargeable batteries and the flashlight turns on automatically if the power goes out.
• The flashlight, once charged, will last up to 7 hours unplugged. (And you can turn the flashlight off when not in use to save the batteries.)

Now, whenever we lose power, every nightlight in the house turns into a downward-facing power failure light. Since they are in all our hallways, moving around the house is much easier and safer, plus we can pull any one of these units out of the socket and use as a LED flashlight to deal with our power issues.

I highly recommend this light. Yes, I have other flashlights in my home, but it's very comforting to know these lights are always charged and ready.

You can find the Sylvania Power Failure Light with LED Technology at most home improvement stores and online at Amazon. (Note: several other companies make similar lights, shop around for the best price.)

For more information on how to prepare in advance for a power outage, visit the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's site.

Is Your Data Ready for Winter?

My backyard after Massachusetts' 2008 Ice Storm! 

With today being Halloween, many of us think of scary things such as goblins, ghosts and witches.

Not me: what truly scares me is losing my data!

October is the anniversary of two major weather events in the Northeast: The October nor'easter of 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Additionally, October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

How does this tie into my fear of losing my data?

While most of us generally plan for what we will do in the event of a storm or natural disaster - buy extra food, buy a generator, keep the car's gas task full, etc. - most people don't think about their computers and all the important information and memories that are in these pieces of technology.

With winter approaching and power loss / power surges almost guaranteed, is your data properly protected? And this is important for everyone: home owners, small businesses and even large organizations.

I can't count the number of times either a hard drive crash, a power surge, or even a fire has destroyed valuable data. Sometimes you can get it back, but the cost may be in the thousands of dollars.

You Need a Data Emergency Plan

Think about the information that is on your computers and other devices in your home or office. What would you do if all those family pictures or business records & projects were gone?

Step 1: Backup and then Backup Again

Local backup: We use Western Digital "My Passport" 1TB external USB drives to backup our home office laptops, but any external HD will do if it has these features:

• Automatic backup - don't rely on you remembering to back things up - schedule a backup nightly - better yet, buy a HD that automatically mirrors your data immediately after every save. 
• Encryption - make sure your data is safe from theft. Very important for businesses, but also vital for home owners who store bank or tax info on their systems.
• Enough capacity - buy a backup HD with 50% to 100% more space than your current system's HD. 
• Portability - get a portable HD that's easy to carry and simple to set up.

Important: Local backup is great until you lose that portable HD or it's damaged in an accident. Then Cloud Storage looks much more attractive...

Cloud backup: As a backup to the backup, you should also consider cloud backup services, not just for business data, but your home files as well.

Cloud backup plans start at around $50 / year and go up as you add storage space and features. The #1 benefit of Cloud backup is your data is protected from theft, fire, etc. If there's a natural disaster, there's nothing to carry out the door because your data is safely stored in a data center offsite.

A Google search for "cloud backup" yields a host of companies that can keep your data safe.

The way I personally use these 2 technologies:

• I backup all my data locally using external USB drives.
• I backup my "greatest hits" - favorite family pictures/videos plus important financial files to the Cloud. (I may start relying less on my external USB drives as the cost of Cloud storage continues to decrease. Right now it doesn't make sense to back up 3 TBs of data from multiple computers to the Cloud.)

Step 2: Work in the Cloud

Another way to keep all your important files safe is to make the Cloud the place where you work.

• You can use Google Drive or Dropbox to automatically store and share your important data across multiple platforms.
• If you have Microsoft Office, use the free online document storage for your most important work.
• You can also store and share important pictures and videos on image storage sites like Flickr, Photobucket, Snapfish, Shutterfly, or Picasa Web Albums.
• And of course if your company hosts it's own wiki or IBM Connections site, posting your work and files there will protect them from data loss as well.

Step 3: Plan on what you will do with your computer assets in an emergency 

When a winter storm hits, don't forget your computers and other electronics.

• Protect: Make sure you have all your sensitive electronics connected to high-quality power strips with surge protection.
• Unplug: If you lose power, remember to unplug all your sensitive electronics - TVs, DVRs, stereos, and computers - so when the power does return, your equipment isn't damaged by a possible power surge. (I unplug my power strips - even the ones with surge protection - I don't want to take any chances.)
• Remove: If you have to evacuate due to a winter emergency, plan on which electronics you will take.
    -  If we can drive away from the emergency - I plan to take all my phones, tablets, laptops, and backup HDs plus all needed cables. I also plan to take my desktop computers - only the cases, leaving behind monitors, keyboards, etc.
    -  If we can't drive away due to the roads being blocked, then we'll take all the portable electronics and place the desktops in the attic to protect them from flooding, etc.

I know this is a long list of items to digest - just make sure you add "protecting your data" to your family's emergency action plan today!

Happy Halloween!

For more information on how to prepare in advance for a power outage, visit the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's site.