Business&RealEstate Battery replacement may save your life

Homeowners sometimes forget one of the most important life-saving preventative maintenance and a simple chore to do in their home or apartment to replace the batteries in the fre and smoke alarm. This must be done on a yearly basis or as needed when a red light fashes or you hear a slight beeping sound. If you are hardwired via your electrical current for your detectors, then you are in the most advantageous position for safety.

According to a February 2021 article by the National Fire Association with its 50,000 members, the following was found in a report it published about home fres:

1.) Smoke alarms were present in three-quarters (74 percent) of reported home fres in 2014–2018.

2.) Almost three out of fve home fre deaths were caused by fres in properties with no smoke alarms (41 percent) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16 percent).

3.) The risk of dying in reported home structure fres is 55 percent lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or none that worked.

4.) When present, hardwired smoke alarms operated in 94 percent of the fres considered large enough to trigger a smoke alarm. Battery-powered alarms operated 82 percent of the time. Power source issues were the most common factors when smoke alarms failed to operate.

Compared to reported home fres with no smoke alarms or automatic ex- tinguishing systems (AES) present, the death rate per 1,000 reported fres was as follows:

35 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms were present, but AES was not 51 percent lower when smoke alarms with any power source were present but AES was not 69 percent lower when hardwired smoke alarms were present but AES was not 91 percent lower when hardwired smoke alarms and sprinklers were present.

The calculations above were based solely on the presence of fre protection equipment, but the equipment’s operation was not considered.

In a 2018 study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, less than a quarter of households in 1977 had fre/smoke alarms. The numbers increased throughout the 1970s through the 2000s. The importance of these detectors hit home and dramatically ramped up and as of today, 97% of homes have some type of fre and smoke alarm.

I recall many years ago in 1994, when professional tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis, who was living in Kings Point, was visiting a friend in South Hampton. An improperly installed pool heater caused carbon monoxide gas to travel into the pool house where he was sleeping, causing his death at the early age of 40. I do not know if there was a functioning fre smoke and carbon monoxide detector at that time, but if there was, it would have potentially

PHILIP A. RAICES

Real Estate Watch

saved his life.

The liability and agony of the loss of life not only is traumatic but can be fnancially devastating, too. I am quite sure insurance policies require fre-smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every foor. As they say, an ounce of prevention will provide a pound of cure and save lives, too.

New homes are required by local building codes to have hardwired alarms (with battery backups in case of a blackout) on all foors. However, it is a prudent idea to test your alarms regularly whether battery-operated or hard-wired to make absolutely sure they are operational. Also, they can be tied into your central dispatch system, so if you’re away, the Fire Department will be notifed of any incidences of fre, smoke, or carbon monoxide issues.

One fnal thought has to do with frozen and broken pipes that may occur (especially last week) especially with the kind of frigid air that we all have recently experienced. When we have these types of unusual freezing temperatures for any length of time, there are additional devices that some are utilizing today. They will not only notify you of any type of water leakage with an application for your cell but will also shut of your main water supply, preventing thousands of dollars of potential damage. For outside exposed pipes you can purchase low 24V wiring online or at your local or big box stores. Then you can wrap it around your faucets, and plugin it into a local electrical outlet to prevent the pipes from bursting.

Just today visiting my daughter’s home we saw water running down the street at her friend’s newly purchased home nearby and I knew immediately it was a broken pipe. I called ManhassetLakeville Water and the Fire Department showed up to shut of the water, saving countless thousands of dollars and preventing further damage that would have occurred. Make sure you leave your temperature at least at 55 degrees. However, on the north side (the coldest area of your home) be sure to provide enough warmth and protection/insulation to outside pipes and inside walls so bursting pipes will be avoided. to Donate to the Ukrainian Crisis and save a life or 2: https://usaforiom.org/ ioms-ukraine-response/

Your life and home are all-important so I advise those without any type of fresmoke or carbon monoxide devices to have them installed ASAP. For those who do have them, check regularly and replace the batteries as needed. This is a must needed task to protect you and your loved ones.

OR The InternationalOrganization forMigrationa501(c)3Corporation: OR: http://donate.iom.int

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years of experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certifed International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S) as well as the new “Green Industry” Certifcation for eco-friendly construction and upgrades. For a “FREE” 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or via https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com Just email or snail mail (regular mail) him with your ideas or suggestions on future columns with your name, email and cell number and he will call or email you back.

What is Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)?

Have you noticed that a website address starts with the letters and symbols of http:// or https://? What is the difference and why should you care? HTTPS secures communication and data transmission between a user’s web browser and a website. HTTPS is the newer, more secure version of HTTP.

HTTPS helps to secure websites that send or receive sensitive data. Simply put, any website that requires login credentials or involves financial transactions should use HTTPS to ensure the security of users, transactions and data. This includes personal or business information exchanged by online banking services, online retailers and healthcare providers.

A malicious actor can easily impersonate, modify or monitor an HTTP connection. HTTPS protects against these vulnerabilities. As a result, it ensures that no one can tamper with these transactions, securing users’ privacy and preventing sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

Small and medium-sized business managers should be mindful to check for the secure HTTPS when accessing websites for banking, shopping online, and SAAS (software-as-a-service) programs. We highly recommend coaching all employees to look for this, as well. Human error is behind the majority of IT breaches and is avoidable with proper training and reinforcement. Contact Sandwire Technology Group for information on affordable cyber security training for your company.