| Fire
is a threat to any house or building. It can occur at anytime, and in
anyplace. There are an estimated 2.6 million residential fires alone
each year. That is why you must be prepared. There are a few simple
steps you can take to greatly increase your chance at saving your
property and more importantly you and your families life.
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to read about Summer BBQ Safety.
1. Make sure your household has smoke
detectors.
Place them on every level of your residence and make sure
they cover main corridors near each of your homes bedrooms.
Remember smoke kills more people than fire. At the first sound of your
smoke detector follow your escape plan (discussed below) and
exit your home. Fire can consume a home in 5 minutes. Also it is very
important to make sure to test your smoke detectors regularly.
2. Make sure that you have a fire extinguisher
in your home. Make sure it is in a convenient location easily
reachable in each level of your home. Fire extinguishers are a great weapon
and can increase your chances of keeping a small fire from becoming
out of control.
3. Make sure you and your family have
an escape plan which is fast and easy for exiting your home. Make sure
you discuss and practice this plan. You should know at least 2 ways to
exit each room of your home. When exiting always feel the door to see
if it is hot. If so make sure to use your alternate escape route.
Crawl on the floor. Smoke and heat rises and the least amount of each
will be along the floor of your home. Always have a prearranged
meeting spot outside of your home to meet. This will be sure that
everyone is outside of the home safely. Make sure as soon as you are
safe run to a neighbors and call the fire department. NEVER
return into a burning building for any reason. The fire department
will be there quickly and have special clothes and gear to enter the
structure.
Following these 3 steps can greatly
increase your chance of you and your family surviving a fire. There
are also a few other steps to make sure you look into. They are as
follows:
- Check your furnace regularly. Make
sure the furnace is in working order and maintained.
- When using a fireplace make sure you
have a proper screen in use
- Have proper ventilation for heaters
and other small appliances.
-
Do not smoke in bed.
-
Use the correct size fuses.
-
Don't use worn out electrical wiring
or run it under rugs or out windows or doors.
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