it regularly. Using a timer can help you stay on task even if you get pulled into a conversation. • Be patient if you are heating up oil for those awesome fresh-cut French fries. Heating oil too quickly can easily start a fire. Oils will usually smoke before catching fire, so be observant.
veloping an evacuation plan on the NFPA website: www.nfpa.org. ITEMS YOU CAN PROVIDE TO HELP MANAGE FIRES: StoveTop FireStop: These prod- ucts easily install by magnet to the underside of the range hood and contain
a fire suppressant that can act automatically. When a fire ignites the wick, the can deploys a fire suppressant similar to the powder in fire extinguishers over the burners below. This powder can put out a stove-top fire almost instantaneously. Installing these in your rentals may help act as an added layer of protection should a tenant get distracted while cooking. Additional details and discount codes can be found in the Products section of the ALPS website: www. affinitylps.com. Fire extinguishers: A fire extinguisher is a must-have for any home, but especially near the kitchen. An ABC Dry Chemical fire extinguisher can put out various types of fires and won’t accelerate grease fires. Smoke detectors: Make sure these are placed far enough away from the stove to prevent false alarms. Dual-sensor alarms can help detect slow-building fires that produce a lot of smoke and sudden combustible fires with tall flames like a grease fire. Change the batteries at least once a year. Most detectors will need to be replaced every 10 years, as they are constantly filtering air in the home. Please come visit us on the ALPS website! Affinity Loss Pre- vention Services (ALPS) has a new website (www.affinitylps. com) full of resources created just for investors, property man- agers and renters. Though we still love sharing our tips through trusted industry publications and social media, we built our site to be a space where we can spend quality time talking about ways to protect your property and give you a toolbox of products and resources to get the job done. Come check out the latest articles, checklists, product reviews and discounts, and participate by joining our newsletter, property manager list or share your loss prevention stories with us. Here’s to a safe and successful summer! • WANT MORE HELP PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTIES FROMAVOIDABLE LOSSES?
• Be sure your burner is the right size for the pan. Using too large an electric burner or too powerful a flame can heat items too quickly, causing boil-overs, scorching and burning. • Keep anything flammable far away from the stove: oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, hand towels and the like. It is easy to set these down in a dangerous place when counters are crowded with ingredients. • Remember to tuck in that light summer shirt and keep other loose-fitting clothing away from any open flame. You don’t want to have to “stop, drop and roll” in the middle of your party. • If you have a grease fire, DO NOT put water on it. Instead, smother the flames by sliding a lid or cookie sheet over the pan and then turn off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled to avoid a secondary flare-up. • If something in the oven or microwave catches fire, turn off the appliance and keep the door closed until the flames are extinguished. • If you are at all uncomfortable fighting a small fire, just get out of the house! Close the door behind you to help contain the fire and call 9-1-1 from outside. • When you are done cooking and before you shift gears to re- laxing with guests, be sure that all flames are extinguished and burners and ovens are off. KEY 3 ESSENTIAL COOKING TOOLS It may require more than one kind of KitchenAid to pull off a successful barbecue. The following “tools” should be on hand to keep fires to their designated role—cooking delicious food! Oven mitts : A quality pair of oven mitts and other hot pads will be needed to handle hot dishes coming out of the oven. Towels usually don’t offer sufficient protection to prevent burns, and corners and fringe can easily catch fire. Pan lids: If there is a grease fire or other type of fire on your stove- top, a lid or cookie sheet can help smother it quickly and safely. An evacuation plan: Smoke inhalation can overwhelm a child or adult in less than two minutes. Tenants can find guidance on de-
BreAnn Stephenson is assistant vice president of Affinity Loss Prevention Services. Contact her at breann@affinityLPS.com.
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