How to prepare for an emergency in your home

Prevent a Household Gas Leak

• Care for your pipes. If you're excavating outdoors, don't dig until you have your utility company flag where the lines are. Don't use basement pipes to hang heavy items, and make sure the gas connections to your stovetop range and other gas appliances aren't fraying or cracked. By law, "gas pipes leading into a concealed area should be labeled gas, but this isn't always the case," says Bob Kordulak, a code secretary for the Plumbing- Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association. For extra peace of mind, you could install a natural-gas detector, which detects methane and propane gas leaks (ask your local utility company for recommendations). Still, your nose is your best system of detection.

• Make sure every family member knows the basic rule of gas safety: that anytime they smell an unmistakable rotten-egg odor or hear a hissing sound and can't immediately identify the source, they should get out of the house.

Prevent a Household Power Outage

• Limit the number of appliances plugged into any outlet. When you lose power in one part of the house, it's probably because your food processor, toaster, and microwave are sharing the same outlet and overloading the circuit.

• Back up computer files regularly. And consider buying extra batteries and a DC-to-AC auto adapter if you use a laptop computer. This will allow most laptops (12 volts or less) to be operated from the cigarette lighter of a vehicle.

• Know where to find the nearest flashlight. Store one in each bedroom. And avoid lighting candles, if possible, as they could cause a fire.

• Alert your power company to special needs. If somebody in your home relies on electrical medical equipment, call your power company now to let it know. Your home will be a priority when electricity is being restored.

Prevent Frozen Pipes in Your Home

• Remove garden hoses from their spigots and cut off the water supply to outdoor faucets before the frosty weather arrives. Leave the faucets turned on so the pipes are drained before winter.

• Insulate vulnerable pipes with heat tape or heat cable (sold in hardware stores). These may include uninsulated water supply lines anywhere heat doesn't reach, such as the garage, crawl spaces, or under cabinets.

• During freezing spells, regularly allow a trickle of water -- cold or hot -- to run through the pipes. Set the thermostat at 65 degrees, and open the cabinets under sinks to expose them to as much heat as possible. If you're leaving for an extended period during the winter, turn off the main water supply, set the thermostat at no lower than 55 degrees, and keep the cabinets open.

In Case of Home Fires: Monitor Smoke Alarms

• Install one on every level of the house and outside all sleep areas. Mount each unit on or just below the ceiling.

• Check the batteries once a month and replace them at least once a year, unless you have units powered by 10-year lithium batteries (these still require monthly checking). Some smoke alarms are connected to the household electrical system and may or may not have a battery backup. It's important to test these monthly, too. Regardless of the power source, buy new smoke alarms every 10 years.

• Keep alarms clean. Dust and debris can cause malfunctions, so vacuum or dust alarms regularly.

• Never disable an alarm when you get a false alarm. Newer detectors have hush buttons, so you won't have to compromise the alarm's power source just because you charred your toast.

From yahoo Shine.