Fire Safety In The Home

Smoke Alarms

• Every two hours someone dies in a fire
• A working smoke alarm can detect a fire and provide crucial minutes necessary to prevent a tragedy from occurring in your home.
• You have nearly a 50% better chance of surviving a fire in your home with working smoke alarms.
• Test smoke alarms once a month.
• Never paint a smoke alarm.
• Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.

Home Fire Escape Plan

• The best way to protect yourself from fire is to prepare for it.
• Draw up a Home Fire Escape Plan. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to exit from each room of your home, with a second exit as a backup.
• Walk around your house inspecting each window and door to make sure it can be used quickly in an emergency.
• Choose a location outside to be your family's Safe meeting Place where you go once your are safely outside.
• Most home fire happen at night, so practice your Home Fire Escape Plan in the dark.

Fire In General

• A Residential home can be totally consumed in flames in less that five minutes from the time a fire starts.
• Fires kill more people from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning than from burns.
• Studies show that from the time a fire breaks out, a person has less than 4 minutes to escape the disabling effects of smoke and poisonous gases.
• In case of fire, remember that smoke and deadly gases rise, so crawl low, below the smoke where the air is clearer to exit safely, all the way out, if necessary.
• Never leave cigarettes unattended or smoldering.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Keep matches and lighter up high out of the reach of children.

Kitchen fires

• Never leave cooking unattended. If you step away, turn off burners until you return.
• Keep stove surfaces free of clutter and built-up grease.
• If a grease fire breaks out on the stove, immediately turn off the heat and cover with a tight lid. DO NOT THROW WATER ON IT, THIS WILL SPREAD THE FIRE.

Burns & Scalds

• A burn can be one of the most terrifying kinds of accidents.
• If your clothing catches on fire, STOP where you are; DROP to the floor; and ROLL over and over to put out the flames. NEVER RUN, this will make it worse.
• Seek immediate medical help if the burn/scald has blisters and/or is very painful, cover over 15% of the adult's body, covers over 10% of the child's body, OR the burn is on the face, hands, feet or genitalia.
• To treat a burn or scald in the home, apply cool, but not cold, water.

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