Fire Prevention
More info coming soon
It's not enough just to have a fire
escape plan. To escape safely from a house fire, you've got to make
sure that everyone in the house has practiced the plan.
According to a recent poll conducted byThe National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), while the majority of Americans have an escape
plan in case of a fire, most haven't practiced it. Also, three-quarters
of Americans believe they have up to 10 minutes until a fire turns
deadly. You should be able to evacuate your house and meet in your
safe area within two and a half minutes!
According to the National Fire Protection
Association,
In 2003, 80% of fires in the United
States occurred in the home, resulting in 3,925 fire deaths.
In the U.S., someone dies from a home fire roughly every 134 minutes.
In Canada, someone is fatally injured in a home fire roughly every
31 hours.
Roughly half of all home fire deaths in the U.S. resulted from fires
that were reported between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. But
only one-quarter of home fires occur between those hours.
Although children five and under make up about 9% of the country's
population, they accounted for 17% of the home fire deaths.
Smoking was the leading cause of home fire deaths overall, but in
the months of December, January and February, smoking and heating
equipment caused similar shares of fire deaths.
Every 20 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in
the nation.
With these startling statistics in mind, here are some safety tips
for you:
SMOKE DETECTORS
Smoke is responsible for three out of
four deaths.
Install smoke detectors on every level
of your home and outside of sleeping areas. Test every detector at
least once a month.Keep smoke detectors dust
free. Replace batteries with new ones at least once a year, or sooner
if the detector makes a chirping sound.If you
have a smoke detector directly wired into your electrical system,
be sure that the little signal light is blinking periodically. This
tells you that the alarm is active.
Inexpensive smoke detectors are available for the hearing impaired.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
They remain your best bet if you're on the spot when a fire begins.
Fire extinguishers should be mounted in the
kitchen, garage, and workshop. Purchase an ABC type extinguisher for
extinguishing all types of fires. Learn how to use your fire extinguisher
before there is an emergency. Remember, use an extinguisher on small
fires only. If there is a large fire, get out immediately and call
911 from another location.
THINKING AHEAD: Your Exit Plan
As with other things, the best motto
is, "Be Prepared." Prepare a floor
plan of your home showing at least two ways out of each room. Sleep
with your bedroom door closed. In the event of fire, it helps to hold
back heat and smoke. But if a door feels hot, do not open it; escape
through another door or window. Easy-to-use window escape ladders
are available through many catalogs and outlet stores. Agree on a
fixed location out-of-doors where family members are to gather for
a head count. Stay together away from the fire. Call 911 from another
location. Make certain that no one goes back inside the burning building.
Check corridors and stairways to make sure they are free of obstructions
and combustibles. To help cut down on the need for an emergency exit
in the first place, clear all unnecessary items from the attic, basement,
garage, and closets.
FIREPLACE
Remember, you're deliberately bringing fire into your home; respect
it.Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks
from flying. Don't store newspapers, kindling, or matches near the
fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden floor right in front of
the fireplace. Have your chimney inspected by a professional prior
to the start of every heating season and cleaned to remove combustible
creosote build-up if necessary. Install a chimney spark arrester to
prevent roof fires. When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match
first, then turn on the gas.
FURNACE/SPACE HEATERS
Used improperly, a space heater can be the most dangerous appliance
in your house. Install and maintain heating
equipment correctly. Have your furnace inspected by a professional
prior to the start of every heating season. Don't store newspapers,
rags, or other combustible materials near a furnace, hot water heater,
space heater, etc. Don't leave space heaters operating when you're
not in the room. Keep space heaters at least three feet away from
anything that might burn, including the wall. Don't use extension
cords with electrical space heaters. The high amount of current they
require could melt the cord and start a fire.
When lighting a gas space heater, strike your match first, then turn
on the gas.
Never use a gas range as a substitute for a furnace or space heater.
CLOTHES DRYER
Under some circumstances, dangerous
heat can build up in a dryer. Never leave home with the clothes dryer
running. Dryers must be vented to the outside, not into a wall or
attic. Clean the lint screen frequently to keep the airway clear.
Never put in synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber, or foam because they
retain heat.
ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
Electricity, the silent servant, can become a silent assassin. It
is better not to use extension cords. If you feel you must use one,
make sure that it is not frayed or worn. Do not run it under a rug
or twist it around a nail or hook. Never overload a socket. In particular,
the use of "octopus" outlets, outlet extensions that accommodate
several plugs, is strongly discouraged. Do not use light bulb wattage
which is too high for the fixture. Look for the label inside each
fixture which tells the maximum wattage. Check periodically for loose
wall receptacles, loose wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking
means that you've waited too long. Allow air space around the TV to
prevent overheating. The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo
sets, and to powerful lamps.
If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately
cut down on the number of appliances on that line. Be sure all electrical
equipment bears the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label. In many
older homes, the capacity of the wiring system has not kept pace with
today's modern appliances. Overloaded electrical systems invite fire.
Watch for these overload signals: dimming lights when an appliance
goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow heating appliances, or fuses
blowing frequently. Call a qualified electrician to get expert help.
KITCHEN
Careless cooking is the number one cause of residential fires. Never
leave cooking unattended. It's wise to have
a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the
stove on the exit side of the kitchen. Never pour water on a grease
fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the
oven door. Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and
always watch young children in the kitchen. Don't store items on the
stove top, as they could catch fire. Keep kitchen appliances clean
and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when
not in use. Don't overload kitchen electrical outlets and don't use
appliances with frayed or cracked wires. Wear tight-fitting clothing
when you cook. Here's why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches
a temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame can go over 1,000 degrees.
Your dish towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can
your bathrobe, apron, or loose sleeve. Be sure your stove is not located
under a window in which curtains are hanging. Clean the exhaust hood
and duct over the stove regularly. and wipe up spilled grease as soon
as the surface of the stove is cool. Operate
your microwave only when there is food in it.
CHILDREN
One-fourth of all fire-deaths of children
are from fires started by children. Keep lighters and matches out
of the reach of children. Never leave children unattended with fire
or space heaters. Children are naturally curious about fire, so keep
an eye on them. But if a child repeatedly plays with fire or seems
to have a morbid fascination with fire, seek professional help at
once. If youngsters live with you or stay overnight occasionally,
be sure that they know how to escape from every room and are part
of your emergency exit plan. [See "Thinking Ahead" above]
GASOLINE AND OTHER FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
Flammable liquids should be stored only
in approved safety containers, and the containers should be kept outside
the house and garage in a separate storage shed. Gas up lawn equipment
and snowthrowers outside, away from enclosed areas and any source
of sparks or heat. Start the equipment 10 feet from where you filled
it with fuel. Don't fill a hot lawn mower, snowthrower, or other motor;
let it cool first. Never clean floors or do other general cleaning
with gasoline or flammable liquids.
SMOKING
Never smoke in bed. Don't smoke when
you are drinking or are abnormally tired. Use large, deep ashtrays,
and empty them frequently. Never dump an ashtray into the trash without
wetting the butts and ashes first.
