To ask what you have at home

[tootoasty]

Was talking with a colleagues yesterday about safety devises at home and they made out that I was kind of over the top with things I have.
They got the house alarm and ring cameras for security outside and things like first aid kits and co2 thingy but started laughing when I told them I had fire extinguishers upstairs and downstairs, with fire blankets in kitchen.
Just wondered what people have in their homes. I'd assumed everyone would have everything they could

Sandbags and tarpaulins and elbow length rubber gloves in garage

For dismembering bodies?

Smart smoke detectors
Carbon monoxide detectors
Small fire extinguisher in the kitchen
All necessary medications and bandages in a our medicine cabinet (so you really need a separate kit?)
CCTV
Sensor lights
Security alarm
Yappy dog 🐶
Nosey neighbours 😂

@etulosba

Sandbags and tarpaulins and elbow length rubber gloves in garage

For dismembering bodies?

🤣

First aid kit, smoke detectors. Nothing else.

Smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm and a dog that barks furiously at anyone approaching the house she doesn’t know.

Emergency hob nobs, bottle of wine.

UK fondness for DIY means that some electrical work may be a bit Ho-hum. I am surprised how few people have house wiring checked/replaced when buying. Maybe a discretionary spend too far?

The previous owners of my house managed to botch the wiring in the basement, where are shower is, so that I got minor electric shocks every time I took a shower (and the washing machine would switch off when the hallway light was turned off!). My partner is an electrician and finally got around to rewiring it. Dunno why they did that though, not even legal to DIY electrics in my country - and this is why!

This thread has prompted me to get a roll down ladder, which has been on my 'things I must sort out' list for years! Getting out of the house is the most important thing.

Nothing I think. We might have an old first aid kit, I’m not sure. I vaguely remember getting one about 10 years a go but it’s never been needed and I don’t know if it’s still around. Usually have half a bottle of calpol and an adult box of pain killers in the kitchen.

@gettingolderbutcooler

Emergency hob nobs, bottle of wine.

Oh, finally something I have!

I have peep holes in both doors and steam detectors, we don't call them smoke detectors as my house would burn down before they went off however if I want the neighbours to know we are showering they are perfect a hint of steam and they go mad.

We have :

-wired in Nest smoke detectors CO detectors

• Ring doorbell/ cameras/ lights
• multiple first aid kits - DH has a habit of leaving things in bags/rucksacks, thinking he's lost them, then buying new. We now have storage for all this stuff so the duplicates are in one place. First aid kits in kitchen, bathroom, cars, plus spare pocket kits in storage cupboard.
• belt cutter/ window smasher plus foil blankets in car
• fire blanket in the kitchen- no extinguishers though
• foil blanket and head torch in everyone's bedside table in case we have to get out in the middle of the night.

-battery powered torches and lanterns, and a charging unit, plus portable phone charger blocks. One torch lives on top of the fusebox. We had a spate of power cuts in the recent storms, so have tried to get a bit more prepared- also have some emergency packet food. Would need to get the camping stove out if we had a long term power cut.

Smoke alarm upstairs and downstairs
Carbon monoxide device
Peephole at front door
First aid kit

We have a 3day survival kit. It's totally normal where we live.

I have a decent first aid kit and a food supply of pain relief for adults and kids (still scarred from Paracetamol running out during lockdown 1).

I have a fire extinguisher upstairs because i am deathly afraid of house fires.

We have smoke alarms in every room and CO2 alarm in the kitchen.

We dont have ring etc because i think that would make me MORE nervous and as we rent, not sure if we are allowed one.

We do/have most of the popular things on this thread, including having had both houses we've bought completely rewired as a first priority on moving in.

I have used our fire blanket once, and our travel CO2 monitor alerted us to an issue when we stayed in holiday cottage whilst I was pregnant. But for some of our safety equipment I am not convinced we would have the foresight to use it. I've been involved in emergency situations and each time I turned into an adrenaline fuelled, flapping panic so I wonder for things like our seat belt cutters which I bought after a family in Ireland drowned in their car, if in reality I would think to use them. But I feel psychologically safer having them.

We have an alarm system with built in smoke alarms. a couple of indoor cameras, Ring door bell, a carbon monoxide detector, fire blanket in the kitchen, and a full first aid kit. We carry first aid kits in the cars, too.

@Squirrelblanket

From the things you've listed we have a first aid kit only.

I either have or am planning to get all of those things, except the fire blanket. (I don’t make chips!) I really need to get some sort of upstairs fire escape too. I don’t care if my house burns down, I want us all out!

I also have all my important documents photographed and saved to the cloud and the really important ones in a fireproof and waterproof case (and I’d really have preferred a safe). I have an emergency suitcase of overnight things that will last a couple of days and I have a campervan. It’s kept loaded with a week or so’s supplies, an emergency phone and lots of warm clothing and blankets. It has solar power for charging and a military water filter. To be completely honest, these are things I keep in it anyway for camping, and changes of clothes and snacks and so on are just standard when you have little kids.

I’m not paranoid. I have had kids blue lighted into hospital and not been allowed out for days. I’ve evacuated because of a flood and a gas leak. I’ve had people die on me and fires break out. If shit can happen to me, it does, and I'm not being caught out by whatever the universe decides to dump on me next (I’m widowed and my parents live abroad. Asking friends for favours is fine, but there’s no one who would automatically put themselves out for me. I need to be able to manage on my own if I have to, so I make sure I can)

Linked smoke alarms
First aid kit and medical cupboard
Fire blanket in kitchen
Fully opening windows throughout.
An escape plan (which the DC know) from every room which takes into account what the different hazards might be.
DC know how to barricade their rooms and hide incase of intruders.
Keys kept accessible by the door at night (for fire safety)
DC aware of 'trusted neighbours'

No burglar alarm or door camera, but we have 2x 35kgs of terrifyingly aggressive barking fiends.

Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarm and a fire extinguisher (the latter only because the previous owner left it)

So many carbon dioxide detectors

We have two smoke alarms, a carbon monoxide detector, and loads of first aid stuff. We also have a Ring doorbell but that's to allievate my anxiety rather than as a security measure

First aid kit
Fire extinguisher and fire blanket
Smoke alarm
CO2 detector
There is something else but I am not telling you what it is 🙂

Carbon dioxide and smoke alarms.

Bottle of calpol and nurofen. Bag of plasters somewhere and detol spray. Think I’ve got some left over painkillers and senecol from operation a few years ago.

I do keep meaning to get a fire blanket for the kitchen.

This thread has prompted me to get a fire blanket. Thank you.

I had a fire safety inspection and was told to get rid of my fire extinguisher, that unless you're trained in how to use it they cause more problems than they solve.