DO NOT overload electrical sockets!
If your have an older home, have the wiring checked to make sure it meets current building codes.
Check all appliances and extension cords for frayed or exposed wires. Open or damaged wires start a number of home fires.
Clean and service heating systems and furnaces annually. Neglect can lead to poor ventilation or deteriorating wires and both can cause fires. Also, make sure your system has an emergency shut-off switch!
Misused space heaters start fires fast. They should never be used as a primary source of heat. DO NOT leave them in doorways or stairways. Make sure they are nowhere near combustible materials such as upholstery and drapes. DO NOT add fuel to a portable heater that is still on or hot. The fuel could "explode" into flames.
Unplug heat-producing appliances that are not in use, such as toasters, kettles, space heaters, electric frying pans and irons. On/Off switches can fail, leaving the appliance on.
Use only appliances listed by Underwriter Laboratories (UL) or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). They are tested for safety.
Turn off appliances when not in use.
Always use the proper fuses in your home. NEVER use pennies, wires or fuses of higher amperage than required to replace burned out fuses.
Chimney & Barbecue Hazards (Back tp top)
Consider installing a spark arrestor on your chimney. They are relatively inexpensive. An approved arrestor will prevent sparks and other burning material from escaping and starting a fire an your roof, your trees, your bushes, or your neighbor's property.
If there is un-cleared land surrounding your property, trim back brush at least 100 feet from your home. Keep tree branches at least 10 feet from your chimney.
Keep barbecue grills away from any and all flammable materials. Trees, shrubs, and even your hose could catch on fire from your grill.
Store unused starter fluid and charcoal away from the grill. Keep all highly flammable materials such as charcoal, starter fluid, paints, solvents and varnishes in a locked, fireproof cabinet.
NEVER use gasoline as a cleaning solvent, and never use flammable materials in an enclosed area.
NEVER smoke in bed. This is a major cause of house fires!
NEVER smoke or light matches near flammable materials.
Teach children the danger of playing with matches. They could seriously injure themselves and cause severe property loss.
Smoke detectors are CRUCIAL to your safety. Most fires occur at night while people are sleeping. Toxic gases from a fire can numb your senses, disorient you, and kill you. Buy and carefully maintain a quality smoke detector. Don't wait until it's too late!
For maximum effectiveness, install heat and smoke detectors that can be monitored by a U.L. approved central station.
When using battery operated smoke detectors, clean and test the batteries every month. Set up an annual time to change them, such as when you set your clocks forward or backward for daylight savings time.
The 110 volt smoke detectors installed by contractors are not safe. They become completely disabled during power outages.
Mount smoke detectors in a central location on every floor, high on the wall or ceiling. Remember...smoke rises.
Do Not install smoke detectors near doors, windows, or vents where drafts could affect their ability to detect smoke.
Gently vacuum smoke detectors to keep them free of dust and other foreign particles.
Extinguishers come in a variety of sizes and modules. Look for one that has been approved, tested, and labeled by Factory Mutual Research or Underwriters Laboratories. They are labeled by class according to the type of fire they extinguish:
Class A: Ordinary Combustibles
Class B: Flammable Liquids (Grease, Oil, Fat, Gasoline, Oil Paints, and Paint Thinner.)
Class C: Electrical Equipment (appliances, motors, power tools.)
Sleep with the bedroom doors shut. House fires develop and spread rapidly. Toxic smoke can fill the house in two or three minutes. Closed doors can give you extra seconds.
Establish a well-planned escape route with the entire family. Hold practice fire drills until all family members are thoroughly familiar with the plan.
Have at least two exits planned in case one is blocked.
Install rope ladders by upstairs windows.
Establish a meeting place across the street, at a neighbor's home, etc. This will enable you to make sure everyone is out of the house and accounted for.
In case of fire, act quickly but cautiously. Feel the door. If it's hot, don't open.
Hot, toxic smoke rises. Get down and crawl where the air is better to breathe.
Don't let old newspapers, magazines or rags pile up in the basement, house or garage. They're ideal for spreading fire.
Always keep a fire extinguisher by the stove. Make sure it can be used on grease or electrical fires.
Learn what causes fire. Inspect your home to eliminate or control fire hazards.
Smoke Detectors - An absolute essential for fire survival! (Back tp top)
FACT: Smoke is like an anesthetic. Rather than awakening you, it will put you into a deeper sleep! Most fire deaths occur at night and are due to smoke inhalation, not fire. Typically, the victims are still in their beds, having never been aroused from their sleep. To wake up and survive a nighttime fire, you must have a working smoke detector!
One detector outside each sleeping area (a common hallway, for example).
One detector on each level of your home if more than one story.
An additional detector in each bedroom.
The reason behind this is that if a fire starts in the bedroom itself, you could be overcome by smoke before any detectors in the hallway sound the alarm. Also, if the fire starts in the hallway and you sleep with your door closed, the alarm may not wake you. Having a detector in each of these areas is the best approach
Follow the manufacturer's instructions. If none are available, consider these guidelines:
Mount on the ceiling or up high on the wall, but keep detectors about four inches away from the corner where the ceiling and wall meet (the corner is a "dead air space" where the detector won't be in the path of smoke travel).
For high pitched or "cathedral" ceilings, mount the detectors three feet from the highest point.
Avoid placement in the path of A/C or heater vents.
If nuisance alarms sound due to normal cooking or taking a shower, try relocating the detector further from the source or install a detector with a silence button, which temporarily reduces the detector's sensitivity to these conditions. Never disconnect the battery and leave yourself unprotected!
Check at least once a week by pushing the test button.
Clean periodically by removing the cover and dusting or vacuuming.
Change the battery at least once a year .
A periodic "beep" or "chirp" means that your battery is low and needs to be replaced immediately. Don't disconnect the battery until you have one to replace it.
FIRE DRILLS: GET LOW & GO! THE VITAL LINK BETWEEN YOU AND SURVIVAL! (Back tp top)
FACT: Fire is black. Contrary to what is seen in movies, fires are not bright but extremely dark. The thick smoke created by the fire blocks out all light. You will be able to see more clearly along the floor, but you may still need to feel your way out. This is why planning and practicing your escape route is so important.
Fire is unbelievably hot. Within a few minutes, a fire can generate temperatures of between 300 and 1200 degrees near the ceiling. One breath of this air can be fatal. However, even in these conditions, the temperature near the floor can still be under 100 degrees. This is why you must practice staying low and crawling out.
Fire is fast moving. It can take less than five minutes for a small fire to spread and engulf an entire home in flames. There is time only for immediate escape. Awakening to the piercing alarm of a smoke detector is disorienting and confusing. The narcotic effect of the smoke can further numb your ability to think. That's why preparing yourself t through fire drills is your best chance of survival.
How to plan your fire drill: (Back tp top)
Plan two ways out of every room if at all possible. Doors should be your primary exit, windows your next choice. Make sure windows can be opened by those who may need to use them.
Choose a place to meet outside.
How to conduct a fire drill:
Have everyone lie in bed and wait for the drill.
Begin the drill by pushing your smoke detector test button. For more realism, continue to sound the alarm until everyone is outside.
Monitor everyone to make sure they practice the proper procedures.
Make your own exit, beginning from your bed.
Make sure everyone goes to the meeting place.
Assign someone at the meeting place to be the one to go to a neighbor's home to call 911.
Yell "fire!" to help awaken others in the home.
Roll out of bed and stay low.
Crawl to your primary exit. If it is blocked by smoke or fire, use your other exit.
Feel any closed door with the back of your hand before opening it. If it's hot, don't open it-use your other exit.
If all your exits are blocked, shut your room door and block off the bottom with a towel or blanket. Yell for help and signal at the window if you can. If there is a phone in the room, use it to call 911.
Those with disabilities, the very young and the very old, may require assistance with their exit. If you can assist them, do so. If not, inform the 911 operators when you call or tell the firefighters when they arrive. Extra smoke detectors will help ensure that these people have the maximum amount of time for assisted escape or rescue.
Never go back into a burning building!
Practice "stop, drop & roll"
If your clothes catch on fire, there is no time to run to water. Running only fans the flames. In a matter of seconds, all your clothes will be on fire. Instead, stop, drop to the ground and roll back and forth with your hands covering your face.
FIRE SAFETY: GOOD HABITS SAVE LIVES! (Back tp top)
FACT: Most fire tragedies are preventable. But in order to prevent them, we must be responsible and cultivate habits that protect ourselves and those around us. The best way to avoid a fire loss is not to have a fire!
Make these habits your habits:
Keep lighters and matches out of the reach of children.
Never leave children unattended with fire or space heaters.
One-fourth of all fire-deaths of children are from fires started by children
Children as young as one-year old have started fires with cigarette lighters by rolling them across the floor.
Children are naturally curious about fire, so keep an eye on them
If your child repeatedly plays with fire, call the fire department-we can help.
Practice safe cooking:
Careless cooking is the #1 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.
If there is a fire in the oven, leave the door shut and try to turn the oven off so the fire will die out.
If you have a pan fire, try to smother it with a lid or cookie sheet, or use a fire extinguisher or baking soda--not water!
If your initial attack of the fire fails and the fire continues to grow, get everyone out and call 911 from a neighbor's home.
Give space heaters lots of space! (Back tp top)
Keep space heaters at least three feet away from any thing 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.
Fuel lawn equipment outside, away from enclosed areas and ignition sources.
Start the equipment 10 feet from where you filled it with fuel.
Never clean floors or do other general cleaning with gasoline or flammable liquids!
Inspect your home for fire-safety hazards and correct them immediately:
Overloaded wall sockets, overuse of extension cords, torn or frayed cords, light-bulb wattage too high for the fixture.
Storage of newspapers or other combustibles in A/C closets, water heater closets, or near fireplaces. Gasoline or other flammable liquids stored inside should be removed immediately.
Chimneys need periodic cleaning to remove combustible creosote build-up.
If you wake in bed with smoke in the room:
Roll out of bed.
Stay low and crawl to the door. Smokes fills a room from the ceiling down.
Test the door with the back of your hand.
If the door is hot, go to another exit.
If the door is cool, open it slowly and go to your meeting place outside the home.
Use your neighbor's phone and call for help (DIAL 911).
Do not go back in your home. You may be seriously injured.
Follow the same rules and include the following: Take the stairs when exiting. Close the door behind you and take your keys. Do not use the elevator. Elevators may open at a floor on fire or stop working, trapping you inside.
If You Are Trapped Inside Your Apartment: (Back tp top)
Close the doors between you and the fire.
Stop up cracks and vents to keep smoke out.
Put a wet cloth over your nose and wait at a window.
Phone the fire department, DIAL 911. If unable to reach a phone, signal for help with a sheet or flashlight.
If Your Clothes Catch Fire: (Back tp top)
STOP - Do not run. It will fan the flames, making them bigger.
DROP - To the Ground or floor immediately and cover your face with your hands.
ROLL - Over back and forth to smother the flames.
Emergency Phone Procedure: (Back tp top)
DIAL 911.
Ask for the service you want:
FIRE
POLICE
AMBULANCE
Give your address.
Give your room number and floor.
Give your name.
Give the type of emergency.
Don't hang up until the emergency operator finishes talking to you!
Give your phone number.
Protect Your Family with a Home Fire Safety Checklist (Back tp top)
These Are Simple Changes That Could Save Your Life:
Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries
The IAFC and fire experts nationwide encourage people to change smoke detector batteries at least annually. An easy way to remember to change your batteries is when you turn your clock back in the fall. Replace old batteries with fresh, high quality alkaline batteries, to keep your smoke detector going year-long.
Check Your Smoke Detectors (Back tp top)
After inserting a fresh battery in your smoke detector, check to make sure the smoke detector itself is working by pushing the safety test button.
Count Your Smoke Detectors (Back tp top)
Install at least one smoke detector on every level of your home, including the basement and family room and, most important, outside all bedrooms.
Vacuum Your Smoke Detectors (Back tp top)
Each month, clean your smoke detectors of dust and cobwebs to ensure their sensitivity.
Change Your Flashlight Batteries (Back tp top)
To make sure your emergency flashlights work when you need them, use high-quality alkaline batteries. Note: Keep a working flashlight near your bed, in the kitchen, basement and family room, and use it to signal for help in the event of a fire.
Install Fire Extinguishers (Back tp top)
Install a fire extinguisher in or near your kitchen and know how to use it. Should you need to purchase one, the IAFC recommends a multi-or all-purpose fire extinguisher that is listed by an accredited testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory.
Plan and Practice Your Escape (Back tp top)
Create at least two different escape routes and practice them with the entire family. Children are at double the risk of dying in a home fire because they often become scared and confused during fires. Make sure your children understand that a smoke detector signals a home fire and that they recognize its alarm.
Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery (Back tp top)
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) urges you to adopt a simple, potentially lifesaving habit: change the batteries in your smoke detector when you change your clocks back to standard time in the fall.
Each day, an average of three kids die in home fires - 1,100 children each year. About 3,600 children are injured in house fires each year. 90 percent of child fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors.
Although smoke detectors are in 92 percent of American homes, nearly one-third don't work because of old or missing batteries.
A working smoke detector reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly half.
