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How prepared are you for a home emergency? The word emergency generally implies that the issue is urgent and unexpected, meaning you need to be able to react quickly to rectify the situation.
But how can you prepare for an emergency when there are multiple emergencies you can experience on any given day?
The key is to plan ahead and put measures in place you can fall back on should the worst happen.
You Lock Yourself Out
If you experience a home lockout, it will likely upset your whole day. From forgetting to pick up your keys, having your key break in the lock, or even accidentally shutting yourself out when taking the trash out, this happens way more than you would realize. To preempt this situation, you can make sure you have a spare key on your property in a locked safe by the front door or hidden somewhere only you know and accessed via biometrics or a code so you don’t need another key to gain access, keeping the number of a locksmith in your phone, passing a spare key to trusted friends or family to help you get back in or even switching over to modern digital doors that allow you access again using biometrics, or codes to eliminate this issue altogether.
Floods
Burst water pipes, overflowing toilets, or a leaking washing machine can all cause water damage to your home. Coming home to find you are wading through water constitutes an emergency, but can you really prevent this? You can avoid the majority of flood situations by switching your water supply off when you leave home; however, not everything is preventable. Ensuring you fix any repairs quickly, keeping an eye out for build-up in drains, gutters, or damage to your roof. If you live in a flood-risk area, then having flood defenses ready to put out can offer you an extra line of protection, too. If you do come home to a flood of any kind, turn off all of your utilities and call in a water damage company to help you dry your home out.
Fires
Experiencing a fire at home is devastating and can take a long time to recover from. There are many things you can do to prevent a fire from happening. Don’t leave open flames unattended or allow children to play with lighters, fires, candles, or similar around the home. Be careful when cooking to ensure nothing is left on the hob to burn and avoid cooking when under the influence. Avoid overloading sockets or using outlets that aren’t fit for purpose or are damaged. If a fire does break out at home, vacate the premises and call 911 to get the fire department to your home as quickly as possible.
You can experience multiple emergencies at home, from a health-related emergency to flooding, fires, and getting locked out. Being prepared and reducing the risk of these happenings can give you peace of mind that your risks are low and you are as safe as possible.
