Before we get to firefighting techniques, remember that it’s never wise to put yourself in danger just to put out a fire. Your home and possessions can be replaced; you cannot. If a fire in your home causes you to feel threatened – whether or not you can fight the fire by yourself – protect yourself by calling 911.

Cooking Fires:
Next to fires caused by careless smoking, cooking fires are the second most common in the United States. These kinds of fires can occur in the oven or on top of the stove. Here’s what you need to know:

• Grease Fires – Since grease and water do not mix, grease fires will only be made worse by throwing water on them. Instead, turn off the oven or burner and smother the flames with something such as baking soda or salt. You can also attempt to cover the first with a lid to smother its source of oxygen. Never attempt to move a pan or pot with grease in it.
• Oven Fires – Fires inside the oven usually occur when food ignites or grease drips onto the heating elements. Turn the oven off and then smother the flames with baking soda or salt. Immediately close the oven door to cut off the air supply.

The best way to avoid cooking fires is to make sure you keep your oven and stovetop clean. Wipe down all surfaces and heating elements with a degreaser after every use. When cooking in the oven, use a drip pan underneath meats with excess fat. It is always a good idea to have a small Type B dry chemical fire extinguisher in the kitchen as well.

Electrical Fires:
Electrical fires can be caused by overloaded sockets, frayed wires, or equipment malfunction. As with grease fires, do not attempt to put out an electrical fire using water. Water conducts electricity, exposing you to the risk of electrical shock.

To put out an electrical fire, unplug the device if possible. Then smother the flames using a blanket or piece of heavy clothing. If you have a fire extinguisher in the house, it offers you another option.

As with kitchen fires, it’s easier to stop electrical fires before they get started. Routinely check cords for fraying or breaks. Also, avoid using extension cords for anything other than temporary power.

Storage Area Fires:
A fire in a storage area can be caused by any number of things. For example, oil soaked rags can easily combust if exposed to even the smallest of sparks. Other causes can include improperly stored gasoline, charcoal lighter fluid, and household solvents.

Type B fire extinguishers are your best bet for putting out fires related to petroleum products and solvents. Type A fire extinguishers work well for paper and similar items. In the absence of a fire extinguisher, smother the flames with a blanket or a heavy piece of clothing.

Natural Gas Fires:
The most dangerous source of a house fire is natural gas. Turn off the gas supply and call the fire department immediately. If you cannot get to the shutoff, try to smother the flames with a heavy carpet or blanket. Even if you are successful in putting out the flames however, exit the home immediately. Leaking gas always poses a risk of explosion.

Chimney Fires:
Any home with a fireplace or wood-burning stove can be susceptible to chimney fires caused by creosote buildup. Once a fire erupts in the chimney, it is already too late to fight it on your own. Get out of the house and call 911. Do not attempt to go up on your roof and douse the flames with a garden hose. Chimney fires can grow very quickly to engulf the entire structure.

A fire in your home is likely to be a major crisis, but you can reduce the chances of injury and property loss by installing a home security system with fire monitoring from One-Stop Communications. We would welcome the chance to tell you more about how to make your home safer in the event of a fire.

Source:

1. Buffalo Grove: http://www.vbg.org/531/Different-Ways-To-Extinguish-Different-F

According to data collected by Monitronics and published in a recent infographic, more than 12 million home automation systems will be installed throughout the U.S. by 2016. The home automation market in this country will exceed $5.5 billion during that same period. Furthermore, more than 44 percent of U.S. adults say they are open to the idea of utilizing home automation equipment themselves.

So why all of the interest in home automation? It comes down to efficiency. Our busy schedules make it more difficult than ever to properly manage lighting and thermostats for maximum savings. Home automation changes the game by giving homeowners the tools needed to control lighting as well as heating and cooling systems at any time of day.

Manage Your Lighting
When you were growing up, did your parents constantly remind you to turn off lights when leaving a room? You might even have to remind your own children of the same thing. However, what about managing lighting when no one is home? That’s where home automation comes in.

Home automation allows you to turn lights off and on at various times throughout the day. For example, set up a schedule so that the lights in the entrance turn on just about the time you are scheduled to return from work. If you are going to be late one night, just access your system using a smart phone or tablet to make the necessary adjustments.

Managing lighting also allows you to turn lights on and off for security purposes when you are away for extended periods. The obvious benefit is not leaving lights on 24 hours a day. Turn them on remotely for a few hours at night in several rooms within your house. It not only looks like someone is home, but it also saves electricity.

Manage Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling are among the most costly parts of owning a home. You can purchase a programmable thermostat that lets you set the temperature of your home on a seven-day cycle, but a programmable thermostat only works well if you have a fairly simple schedule. A more complex schedule requires something different.

Home automation lets you set your thermostat according to your normal routine, but it also allows you to change your settings on-the-fly. For example, let us say you are taking an extended vacation to get out of the winter weather for two weeks. With a programmable thermostat, you would have to change your existing program or set the thermostat to hold a specific temperature. With home automation, it is a lot easier.

Home automation lets you set a specific temperature to hold as you leave the house. When you are within an hour of returning, just access your system with your smart phone and resume your established program. You will save money while you’re away without coming home to a cold house.

Save with Home AutomationUsing a home automation system to control lighting and thermostats can reduce your energy bills by as much as 15 percent each year. For the average American household, that amounts to nearly $200. When you combine home automation with home security and 24-hour monitoring, it is an incredible value that is well worth the investment.

One-Stop Communications offers this functionality by way of HomeTouch home automation. Please contact us for all of the details regarding equipment, pricing, and installation.

The low voltage HotShot dish heater kit will keep your satellite dish clear of ice and snow. It has a built-in sensor that turns on the heater in freezing conditions by a self adhesive heating element and will help prevent service outages due to signal loss caused by the buildup of snow or ice on the dish. It can also reduce rain fade by up to 75 percent. By simply attaching the self-adhesive vinyl pad to the satellite antenna.

For more information call 717-248-4996.

We are deeply thankful and extend to you our best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day.

Fans of the Back to the Future films series might recall the two main characters traveling into the future to prevent a family disaster. They encountered a home with keyless entry, voice-activated appliances, remote lighting, and so on. It turns out that many of the remote home management features imagined by authors and screenwriters during the 1970s and 80s are now reality. Yes, the future of remote home management is here.

Home security companies in the 21st century have begun integrating security alarms with remote home management. The combined systems not only improve home security, they also make it possible for consumers to manage quite a number of home-related functions from anywhere in the world. All you need is a mobile device and either a cellular or Internet connection.

Here are just a few examples of some of things we can now manage remotely:

• Thermostats – With the high cost of home heating and cooling these days, thermostat management is incredibly important. Thankfully, there is no longer a need to do battle with programmable thermostats that are nearly impossible to figure out. Remote management lets you adjust the temperature in your home from anywhere. You can still program your thermostats, of course, but remote management lets you adjust temperatures with the touch of a button on your mobile device.
• Lighting – Remember the days of programmable timers that plugged into wall sockets? Those days are over thanks to remote home management. New technology lets you control your lighting as easily as you control your thermostats. Adjust the lighting throughout your home or in just one or two rooms. It is fast, easy and effective.
• Door Locks – Being able to lock and unlock doors remotely is one of the newest elements of remote home management. This feature lets you unlock doors to let your kids in at the end of the day, and lock the doors behind them once they are in the house. It is also a great feature for letting out-of-town guests in without having to leave the key outside. And of course, leaving home and forgetting to lock your house is not a problem either.
• Shades and Blinds – today’s homeowner may want to adjust shades or blinds in the home depending on the time of day. For example, opening the blinds on a west-facing window during the dead of winter can help warm up a room nicely in the hours before you return from work.

You can do many important things with remote home management. From a security standpoint, you can arm or disarm your system, or check remote cameras while you are away on vacation.

How Home Automation Works:
Remote home automation and management relies on three important components: wireless communications, the Internet, and new hardware and software. All of them work together to provide management features that are expanding every day.

Wireless communication makes it possible to install and maintain a complete security and remote home management system without having to tap into your existing electrical or phone system. Not only does this help you avoid a lot of unnecessary repair work, it also means your system will continue working even if the power is out. The multiple components in your system communicate wirelessly while the main control panel communicates with the monitoring center via cellular signals.

The system also allows access from anywhere in the world through an account from your service provider that you can access online. Their servers and computer systems have access to your home management equipment through cellular signals. By logging on to your account via the Internet, your home becomes immediately accessible.

None this would be possible without the modern equipment being manufactured today. Between the state-of-the-art hardware and advanced software, designers and developers are putting the power of technology into the hands of consumers who wish to manage their homes from remote locations.

Remote home automation and management is available from One-Stop Communications, with competitive prices on equipment and services. If you would like more information, please contact us so we can schedule one of our representatives to come to your home. We would be happy to design a system uniquely customized for your needs and budget.

If you’ve ever worried about your home when your are away, whether you’re at the office or out of the country; or if you’ve ever wondered if your kids got home safely from school; if you’ve forgotten to lock the door on your way out – there is new type of home security system designed to provide total peace of mind.

Home automation is home security for the smartphone generation, created to allow homeowners full control over their home and lifestyle. Covering every aspect of home management and leaving no stone unturned as a security solution, this technology is fast becoming commonplace in homes across the United States.

If this is the first time you are hearing of home automation, let this infographic serve as an introduction.

Thank you!

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For more details call One-Stop Communications at 717-248-4997

Halloween is a favorite holiday for many children, which is why it would be a particularly terrible time for an accident to occur. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when accidents and injuries are more likely to occur than on a regular evening. The combination of overexcited children hyped up on sugar, people who might not have their best interest at heart, and the inherent risk of being out after dark can lead to unfortunate consequences.

Fortunately, the stories of poisoned candy handed out by sinister people on Halloween are, for the most part, the stuff of urban legend. On the other hand, there are some very real dangers of which parents and children should be aware.

• Even if they’re not handing out tainted treats, some people are a threat to kids. Before yours venture out on Halloween, take a look at your local or state website that pinpoints the location of sex offenders, so that you can avoid those houses. Then head out with your children, enabling your home security system before you go, rather than letting them roam the neighborhood alone. If your children are older, and you feel it’s safe for them to go out on their own, be sure to send a cell phone along with them, so they can keep in touch and let you know if they need help. Additionally, know the route they’ll take before they leave.
• Watch for traffic. Especially with people returning from Halloween parties, the streets can be dangerous after dark. Following basic safety rules can help protect your children from danger. If you have teens out driving to parties and other revelry, admonish them to take extra care for their own safety and the safety of others, and make sure they have enough gas in the tank to get where they’re going. Set reasonable curfews to make sure your kids are home before it gets to be too late.
• Don’t assume some places are safe. Even if you take your kids to a church or community sponsored Halloween event, it’s important to keep an eye on them at all times. While these places may be perfectly safe, crowds of strangers make it easy for predators to blend in.
• Keep costumes safe. Make sure they’re visible in the dark and that kids can see through the eyeholes of any mask. If any props are used, be careful to ensure they don’t have sharp edges that could injure your child in a fall.
• Remember to keep your pets safe, too. Some malicious people are cruel to animals on Halloween, especially black cats. No matter what color or species, pets are better off staying inside on this holiday.
• If you’re staying home, check your outdoor lights to be sure that they’re functional. A big part of home security is keeping your outdoor areas well lit. Be careful, too, to pick up any toys or other items in your yard that might trip a child on the way to your porch.

On Halloween, and throughout the year, keeping your family safe is a top priority. At One-Stop Communications, we offer a home security system perfect for every family and every unique situation. For more information about purchasing a home security system from One-Stop Communications, visit our website.

Sources:
http://www.halloween-safety.com/, http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/halloween.asp,   
http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Halloween-Safety-Tips.aspx