Fire Safety
Fire Safety Begins with You
Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. When working smoke alarms are present in your home, the risk of dying in a home fire is cut by 60 percent, according to the latest NFPA research.Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement. The NFPA encourages the public to test their smoke alarms and change replaceable batteries twice a year, in the fall and in the spring.
Carbon Monoxide
Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as natural gas and propane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.Know the signs of CO poisoning: Some symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, light headedness or headaches. High levels of CO can be fatal, causing death within minutes. If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door.
Electrical Safety
Don't take the power of electricity and its potential for fire-related hazards for granted.Wiring and related equipment accounted for 6 percent of all home fires and 11 percent of all home fire deaths. Have all electrical work done by a qualified electrician. Major appliances (refrigerators, dryers, washers, stoves, etc.) should be plugged directly in a wall receptacle outlet. Extensions cords and plug strips should not be used.
Check electrical cords to make sure they are not running across doorways or under carpets. Extension cords are intended for temporary use.
Cooking Safety
Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries.Prevent cooking fires by following a few safety tips: Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food. If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking. Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
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Have a Home Fire Escape Plan
01.
Make a Fire Escape Plan
Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm. A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.
02.
Ensure Everyone Knows the Plan
When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily. Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.
03.
Practice. Practice.
Every second counts in a home fire. Practice your escape plan.
Your ability to get out of your home during a fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds.
