Your home could be a danger zone, and you not know it. Fifty-three percent of home fires involve electrical wiring, which remains hidden behind your walls. Don’t let the phrase “Out of sight out of mind” be a reality for you, though. Just because you don’t see the inner workings of your home wiring, it doesn’t mean problems don’t exist or can’t occur. Many electrical dangers stem from loose, frayed, or poorly installed wiring as well as from a lack of proper understanding.

Should you experience an electrical fire, do not attempt to throw water on the source! We know it may seem like the natural response, but it’s possible that you could get shocked and/or make the fire worse. In this case, the best option is to use an extinguisher that’s designed to to combat electrical fires in the initial stages. It’s incredibly important to note, however, that if it’s taking longer than five seconds to extinguish a fire, the best course of action is to call 9-1-1.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® and Mister Sparky® are North America’s most trusted home services brands thanks to the skilled, hardworking tradespeople who proudly wear our uniforms. That’s why we’re equally proud to announce a partnership with Mike Rowe, creator and executive producer of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.”

In addition to his TV work, Rowe is the founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting honest work and reinvigorating the skilled trades. Our home services brands have committed to donating $100,000 in scholarships to mikeroweWORKS over the next 12 months, and will work alongside Rowe to promote the skilled trades industry and empower future and potential trade professionals.

The partnership, announced yesterday at our annual convention in Las Vegas, features Rowe in television, radio and print advertisements, where he will appear alongside real technicians from each of our brands. Rowe will also work with the companies to highlight the benefits of careers in the plumbing, electrical and HVAC industries. No other home services provider has embarked on a partnership of this kind to promote skilled trades and the professionals who’re carrying those industries forward.

“We are pleased to join forces with Mike and appreciate his commitment to the trades,” said Mark Baker, president of franchise for the three brands. “The men and women with careers in this field power all three of our brands. We are excited to support them and share the message of how our trusted technicians, plumbers and electricians are like superheroes to our customers, often saving the day when they encounter a problem and helping to protect their homes and families.”

Rowe became a household name by working alongside tradespeople in essential but often unglamorous fields in his two television programs. Since establishing mikeroweWORKS in 2008, he has written and spoken extensively about the value of hard work, the widening skills gap, offshore manufacturing, infrastructure decline and related topics. To date, his foundation has awarded more than $3 million in education “work ethic” scholarships for schools around the country.

“The goal of mikeroweWORKS is pretty simple - help close the skills gap by encouraging men and women to get the training they need to pursue good jobs that actually exist,” said Rowe. “One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky are perfect partners because, collectively, they offer thousands of jobs waiting to be filled. And they know first-hand what a "good job" really is. I'm flattered for the chance to speak on their behalf and grateful for their generous donation to my foundation."

Join us in welcoming Mike Rowe to our home services family, and watch for him in new advertisements for our brands coming soon!

A hefty amount of our readers here on the MyLEDLightingGuide’s official blog consists of facility managers (along with contractors, government employees, and other decision makers). This post is made specifically for the facility managers and building owners out there to help keep you up to date and fresh on the latest news and opportunities for you and your buildings.

This list of 14 blogs will consist of some popular and most likely already heard of publications, along with a few lesser known places that you still may find extremely interesting. Picking a few from this list is definitely the first step to keeping up to date and staying ahead with your work.

There will be a brief description along with a URL for each blog / magazine listed, and it should give you a good idea or not if that facility management resource will benefit you more-so or not than others listed here. Now, let’s get started with this list…

2. Buildings.com

Another very popular publication which covers a lot of useful topics and products that any building decision maker should be aware of to create a more efficient and overall better workplace. They also have many courses and webinar on topics like life cycle costs, energy management, lighting, security, and more.

4. Maintenance World

As the name suggests, this blog leans on the side of maintenance based topics. Although, they often talk about topics that are important to any facility manager, such as cooling an industrial sized area. That is just a glimpse of the type of stuff this blog publishes, so reading more on what they offer may be important to seeing if this blog is worth your time or not!

6. FM World

FM World seems to put a lot of their attention on news, but all are topics that are probably very relevant to you and your tasks as a FM. They also (like many other of these blogs on this list) offer many different white papers which carry tons of valuable information in them. Along with professional interviews, webinars, and other pieces of content they are very well rounded in the variety of things that they offer.

8. The Built Environment

They don’t only talk about the environment and green buildings, but surprisingly they publish a lot about facility managers and how to become a better one in general. You can thank Michel Theriault for this great resource, as he is the brains behind it all. He also offers services such as consulting and training for FM staff, so if a budget allows and you want to become a better FM; that’s always an option!

10. Building Automation Monthly

Phil Zito is the creator and sole person behind Building Automation Monthly. He writes about and educates on the topics solely regarding building automation systems. No time for reading? Phil offers a Podcast which covers many different great topics as well. So, next time you are driving or taking a flight you might want to listen in to his podcast!

12. The fmguru blog

Although this blog doesn’t seem to be updated as often as many others on this list; their past and current posts are a good read. They are definitely insightful and thought provoking on the tasks and purposes of a facility manager.

14. i-FM.net

Like their headline says, “if you’re in FM, you need to be on i-FM.” They offer tons of content through news, interviews, top 50 list of great and relevant companies, and overall great resources.

Missed any that you think is worthy of being added? Be sure to comment them down below, this list is always being updated!

Final Words

There you have it, 14 (and growing) facility manager blogs, magazines, and resources that will hopefully make you an informed, up to date, and more educated facility manager overall. Our #1 tip for you is to pick two or three from this list that really peak your interest, and make it a ritual to check in on them often for the latest content that they offer.

Again, if we missed one that you think should be added; feel free to comment it down below for consideration!

Want more of our topics for facility managers? Here are some:

Legrand has been operating in the U.S. since 1984 and continues to bring its unique products to the American market. In addition to a luxury look, the brand offers many useful features and benefits to your home. From innovative gesture recognition to cross-compatibility with different bulb types,

Traditional lighting offers few options for adjusting light levels from room to room or regulating how much energy your lights use. Legrand addresses this problem with its innovative designs and technology, providing switches and dimmers with unprecedented options for control. Instead of flipping a switch, you might tap a console, press a rocker or toggle or simply wave your hand in front of a panel to turn lights on and off. Each fixture is designed to be as flush with the wall as possible, creating a clean look in any room.

Legrand dimmers come in six designs, each with its own combination of switch and dimmer controls:

Reduced Utility Bills Ceiling fans can reduce your overall energy expenses by as much as 30 to 40 percent. While the actual operation of the ceiling fan is not going to decrease the room’s temperature, the draft will make that room feel much cooler. You can reduce the thermostat because the room will feel much cooler.

Adding Style Ceiling fans are style driven, which are available in various styles, designs, finishes and so forth to complement the room’s décor and style. They can be used as a room’s focal point or make a statement in your room’s style and appearance.

Versatility for any Room Ceiling fans are versatile, so they can be used in virtually any room of a home. The more fans that are used throughout your home, the greater the overall savings on your utility bill. They can be used in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms or screened-in porches.

Functional Illumination When you use a ceiling fan, you get functional and attractive illumination. If you want to take advantage of general illumination, choose a ceiling fan that has a built-in light or one that offers easy installation of a light kit into the fan.

Year-Round Value While many people think about ceiling fans for warmer months, they can also be used to help circulate warmer air during the cold months. Therefore, ceiling fans are great for all seasons, and can be used in a variety of climates.