Fire Safety at 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.

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 fires happen at night, so practice your Home Fire Escape Plan in the dark.

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.

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.

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.