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When the unexpected happens, it can be difficult to think straight and know what to do. If there’s an emergency in your home, would you know how to react in order to keep everyone as safe as possible? Take a look at these ways to deal with home emergencies.
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Dealing With a Home Emergency
Water Leak
From a leaking pipe to a full-on flooded basement, water can do a lot of damage to your home and you’ll need to call a plumber ASAP. If it’s safe to do so, find the water supply inlet and close it, so that no further water is supplied to the house. If there’s a danger of water shorting out electrical items, turn off your electricity supply too.
Fire
Even a small fire can cause devastating damage in a matter of minutes and be a danger to life, that’s why it’s important to have working smoke detectors throughout your home. On discovering a fire, your first priority should be to get yourself and your family to safety.
It’s also a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher or fire blanket in your home to tackle small fires before they spread. Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire. If you have to leave your home, close any doors and windows on the way out if safe to do so, this may stop the fire from spreading as quickly while you’re waiting for help to arrive. If you have been unfortunate to experience a fire then you will need to contact fire damage experts in order to gain an insight as to what will need to be repaired.
Natural Disaster
If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, flooding, forest fires or strong storms then you need to prepare for these eventualities. The type of event will dictate whether you need to leave your house for safer shelter or stay in place.
In the first instance, should you need to evacuate quickly, then you should have go-bags packed for everyone in the house. These are bags that contain essentials to get you through a few days of being away from home. They include clothes, drinks, food, first aid, and emergency supplies such as space blankets, flashlights, and a wind-up charger for your cell phone. If you need to evacuate, you should note where your nearest public shelter is and how you can get to it.
Other events mean that you might be forced to wait it out at home, potentially with no power or heating. Again, you should have enough supplies to last everyone a few days at least.
Medical Emergency
How up-to-date are you on your first aid? Accidents and sudden illnesses can come completely out of the blue but require you to act fast in order to save a life. Take an emergency first aid course so that you can give life-saving CPR or other medical assistance until the paramedics arrive. Many people also start teaching their children how to call for help or get help from the neighbours if there is a medical emergency with an adult in the house.
Takeaways
No one likes to think about bad things happening to them or their home but it’s important you know what to do when an emergency occurs.
