Fire safety and prevention tips

8/3/2017 (Permalink)

A smoke alarm should be placed on every floor

BEFORE A FIRE

The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property in the event of a

Fire:

SMOKE ALARMS AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS

• Install smoke alarms. Properly working smoke alarms decrease your chances of dying in a fire by half.
• Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence, including the basement.
• Install a working carbon monoxide detector in the common area of the bedrooms.
• Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms once every 10 years.

COOKING SAFETY

• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Always wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook.
• Keep towels, pot holders and curtains away from flames
• Never use the range or oven to heat your home.

ESCAPING THE FIRE

• Have an escape plan. Review escape routes with your family.
• Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut.
• Teach family members to stay low to the floor, where the air is safer, when escaping from a fire.
• In high-rise, never lock fire exits or doorways, halls or stairways. Never prop stairway or other fire doors open.

HEATING SOURCE

• Place space heaters at least three feet away from flammable/combustible materials.
• Use only the type of fuel designated for your space heater.

MATCHES/LIGHTERS AND SMOKING

• Keep matches/lighters away from children.
• Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated.
• If you must smoke, do it responsibly.

ELECTRICAL WIRING

• Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose plugs
• Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
• Make sure wiring does not run under rugs, over nails, or across high traffic areas.
• Do not overload extension cords or outlets.

ASK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO INSPECT YOUR HOME FOR FIRE SAFETY AND

PREVENTION

DURING A FIRE

If your clothes catch on fire, you should:

• Stop, drop, and roll until the fire is extinguished.

DO NOT PANIC

• Do not assume someone else already called the fire department get out of the house then call the Fire Department.

ESCAPE A FIRE

• Check closed doors with the back of your hand to feel for heat before you open them.
• If the door is hot do not open it. Find a second way out, such as a window. If you cannot escape through a window, hang a white sheet outside the window to alert firefighters to your presence.
• Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding or tape and cover vents to keep smoke out.
• If there is a phone in the room where you are trapped, call the fire department again and tell them exactly where you are.
• If the door is cold slowly open it and ensure that fire and/or smoke is not blocking your escape

Route. If your escape route is blocked, shut the door and use another escape route.

• If clear, leave immediately and close the door behind you. Be prepared to crawl.

AFTER A FIRE

• Once you are out of the building, STAY OUT! Do not go back inside for any reason.
• If you are with a burn victim or are a burn victim yourself call 911, cool and cover your burns until emergency units arrive.
• If you are a tenant contact the landlord.
• Tell the fire department if you know of anyone trapped in the building.
• Only enter when the fire department tells you it is safe to do so.