Find, like and follow
us! |
General
Information
Fires in residences have taken a high toll of life and property. In 2005 there were:
396,000 residential fires
3,055 civilian fire deaths
13,825 civilian fire injuries
$6.9 billion in property damage
In the event of a fire, remember time is the biggest enemy and every second counts!
Escape first, then call for help. Develop a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside. Make sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from every room. Practice feeling your way out with your eyes closed. Never stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke and try to keep your mouth covered. Never return to a burning building for any reason; it may cost you your life.
Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.
This information was provided by the
United States Fire Administration.
Smoke Detectors
The Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign is part of the U.S. Fire
Administration’s effort to reduce fire deaths and injuries across the nation by
urging residents to install smoke alarms in their homes and inspect and maintain
them on a regular basis. Working smoke alarms and sprinklers save lives.
A working smoke alarm can help you and your family escape a deadly home fire. It
can also help save the lives of firefighters who would otherwise have to risk
their lives by searching a burning home for residents. A working smoke alarm
continuously scans the air for smoke, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It
never sleeps.
The USFA is encouraging you to practice fire safety and do your part to get out,
before firefighters have to come in.
Smoking & Home Fires
About 1,000 people are killed every year from
smoking material home fires. People close to
where a smoking material fire
starts are harder to save, because the fire
spreads fast. Most fires caused by
smoking materials start
on beds, furniture, or in trash. Fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials are preventable.
Of the fatal victims
who were not the smokers:
-
Thirty-four percent were children of the smokers.
-
Twenty-five percent were neighbors or friends
of the smokers.
-
One in four people killed in home fires is not
the smoker whose cigarettes caused the fire.
If you smoke, put it out. All the way. Every time.
Residential Fire Sprinklers
It is the official position of the U.S. Fire Administration that all Americans should be protected against death, injury, and property loss resulting from fire in their residences. All homes should be equipped with smoke alarms and automatic fire sprinklers, and families should prepare and practice emergency escape plans.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, toxic gas that has the molecular formula CO. The molecule consists of a carbon atom that is triply bonded to an oxygen atom.
Carbon Monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of the fossil fuels - gas, oil, coal and wood used in boilers, engines, oil burners, gas fires, water heaters, solid fuel appliances and open fires.
For more information
on Carbon Monoxide and Indoor Air Quality visit the Environmental Protection
Agency website by
clicking here.
Escape Planning
Get Out Safely
More than 3,500
Americans die each year in fires, and approximately 18,300
are injured. Deaths resulting from failed emergency escapes
are particularly avoidable.
The United States Fire
Administration (USFA) believes that having a sound escape
plan will greatly reduce fire deaths and protect you and
your family's safety if a fire occurs.
Have a Sound Fire Escape Plan
In the event of a fire,
remember - time is the biggest enemy and every second
counts! Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly.
In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out
of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes
for a house to fill with thick black smoke and become
engulfed in flames.
Practice Escaping From
Every Room In The Home
Practice escape plans every
month. The best plans have two ways to get out of each
room. If the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke,
you will need a second way out. A secondary route might
be a window onto an adjacent roof or a collapsible
ladder for escape from upper story windows. Purchase
only collapsible ladders evaluated by a nationally
recognized laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory
(UL). Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can
be taken out quickly and that security bars can be
properly opened. Also, practice feeling your way out of
the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.
-
Security Bars Require
Special Precautions
Security bars may help to
keep your family safe from intruders, but they can also
trap you in a deadly fire! Windows and doors with
security bars must have quick release devices to allow
them to be opened immediately in an emergency. Make sure
everyone in the family understands and practices how to
properly operate and open locked or barred doors and
windows.
-
-
Immediately Leave The Home
When a fire occurs, do not
waste any time saving property. Take the safest exit
route, but if you must escape through smoke, remember to
crawl low, under the smoke and keep your mouth covered.
The smoke contains toxic gases which can disorient you
or, at worst, overcome you.
-
-
Never Open Doors That Are
Hot To The Touch
When you come to a closed
door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the
door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and
door frame to make sure that fire is not on the other
side. If it feels hot, use your secondary escape route.
Even if the door feels cool, open it carefully. Brace
your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. If
heat and smoke come in, slam the door and make sure it
is securely closed, then use your alternate escape
route.
-
-
Designate A Meeting Place
Outside and Take Attendance
Designate a meeting
location away from the home, but not necessarily across
the street. For example, meet under a specific tree or
at the end of the driveway or front sidewalk to make
sure everyone has gotten out safely and no one will be
hurt looking for someone who is already safe. Designate
one person to go to a neighbor's home to phone the fire
department.
-
-
Once Out, Stay Out
Remember to escape first,
then notify the fire department using the 911 system or
proper local emergency number in your area. Never go
back into a burning building for any reason. Teach
children not to hide from firefighters. If someone is
missing, tell the firefighters. They are equipped to
perform rescues safely.
Finally, having working smoke
alarms installed on every level of your home dramatically
increases your chances of survival. Smoke alarm batteries
need to be tested every month and changed with new ones at
least once a year. Also, consider replacing the entire smoke
alarm every ten years, or as the manufacturer guidelines
recommend.
Fire Safety For Kids
Visit the
USFA Kids page for additional information. Download a Fire Safety
coloring book here. |
.gif)