I have many friends who have dogs, cats and other pets and I would venture to guess how many of them think about what kind of danger they may face when left home alone.
The chance of a fire starting while you are not home is a reality as well. Without a home security system monitoring for heat and smoke, it could be the end of the life of your pet because the fire department would be delayed in getting to the house to save them – or the house.
Fire Monitoring Means Faster Response Times
Think about it: If no one is home, then the fire won’t be noticed until the neighbors see or smell something, and how long will that take? Plus, you have the added time it will take for the neighbors to investigate before they call 911. They’ll want to make sure there’s a fire and not a BBQ gone awry before making that call, after all. That means that by the time the fire department gets to your home, a lot of time will have elapsed. Will there be any chance for your pets at that point?
The authorities can get there sooner, however, potentially in time to save your pets and home. With a fire alarm system in place, your home is monitored whether you’re there or not, alerting both you and the fire department at the first indication of heat or smoke.
A Different Kind of Peace of Mind
People often associate home security systems with peace of mind, in part, because burglars tend to bypass those houses they know are protected. In that way, you’re protecting your family and your property, both with the home security and with the fire monitoring. Protecting pets adds a whole new layer to that peace of mind.
This kind of monitoring checks for heat too. Although smoke detectors and fire alarms are commonplace today, heat can start to build before a fire breaks out and is apparent. So that’s one more early warning signal that can get the fire department to your house faster, to save your property and your pets.
Deadly House Fires: More Common Than You Think
If you think the chances of a fire starting at your house are slim, statistics indicate otherwise. House fires are very common. And house fires are very deadly. According to the home security review website ASecureLife.com:
- According to the National Fire Protection Association, a home fire is reported every 23 seconds.
- House fires are the third leading cause of deaths that happen at home.
- More people are killed by fires in the U.S. every year than by all natural disasters combined.
These statistics are only about people, not pets, but you can be sure the statistics for pets are probably the same or worse since they are helpless to let themselves out to escape a house fire. A fire detection system can help. It can’t prevent a fire from starting, but the early detection and notifying of authorities can go a long way toward saving your house, your things, your cats and your dogs.
Oscar Smith