Fire Safety Tips
| 9-1-1 | Electrical Safety | Hotel/Motel Fire Safety | Smoking Materials | |
| Appliance Safety | Fire Escape Planning | Kitchen Safety | Disasters | |
| Arson Prevention | Fire Extinguishers | Nursing Home Fire Safety | ||
| BBQ Grill Safety | Fire Works | Older Adults | ||
| Burns | Flammable Liquids | Physical Limitations | ||
| Campus Fire Safety | General Fire Tips | Playing with Fire | ||
| Candle Safety | Holiday Fire Safety | Security Bars | ||
| Carbon Monoxide | Home Heating Safety | Smoke Alarms |
9-1-1 Calling for Help - Fire Safety Tips
If there is a fire, your first action should be to evacuate the area; do not place yourself at further risk by calling from a burning building. You should get to a safe location then call 911. A safe location is any place where you are not in danger from the fire.
Don’t get burned – be fire safe
Cool a burn. If someone gets burned, place the wound in cool water for 10 – 15 minutes. If the burn blisters or becomes black, see a doctor immediately. Set the temperature of your hot water heater no higher than 120 degrees F (49 degrees C). Read more at DON'T GET BURNED
Carbon Monoxide - Fire Safety Tips
Carbon monoxide is often called the silent killer.
It is an invisible, odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas.
Carbon monoxide is created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, methane, and kerosene) burn incompletely.
Sources of potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the home include heating and cooking equipment.
Sources of potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the garage include cars, lawnmowers, and snow blowers.
On a yearly basis have your furnace, chimneys, and flues inspected and cleaned by a qualified technician.
Place carbon monoxide detectors inside and outside every bedroom, and on every level of the home.
Leave immediately when a carbon monoxide alarm sounds. Call 9-1-1 from outside the building, using a cell phone or a phone in a neighbors home.
Do not open any windows or doors before you leave so that we can better determine the source of the carbon monoxide.
Read more at BEWARE OF THE SILENT KILLER IN YOUR HOME
There are two types of disasters; natural and man made.
Natural disasters are disasters caused by nature. These include tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, severe storms, and earth quakes.
Man made disasters are caused by the action of people. These actions could be intentional or accidental.
Regardless of the type or cause of the disaster; you must be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for several days.
You should have a family disaster supply kit.
It is very important that you use the right type of extension cord for the job. Outdoor use requires an outdoor quality extension cord.
Do not overload an extension cord. The extension cord should not feel hot or warm to the touch. If the cord feels hot or warm you need to unplug some appliances and/or use a heavier gauge extension cord. The lower the gauge number of the cord, the more load it can safely handle.
Do not put extension cords under the carpet. This is because you cannot see any damage to the cord, and walking on the cord will cause extra wear to the extension cord.
Avoid over crowding electrical outlets with multiple plugs.
Replace
any electrical cord if it is frayed, cracked, or appears worn.
Use electrical equipment that is approved by an independent testing laboratory, such as the Underwriters Laboratories.
Unplug any appliance that begins to smoke, or has an unusual smell.
Fire Escape Planning/Practice and Building Evacuation
What
would you do if your home caught on fire? Would
you know where to go if smoke or flames blocked your escape?
There is no time to think about these questions in a real fire.
It will be hot, dark, and smoky. Know
ahead of time what to do by developing an escape plan with at least two ways out
of every room. If smoke or flames
block the first exit, try the second way out.
Make sure that every exit is accessible.
How much time do you have to escape a fire? It is not as much time as you think. You may have only a few minutes! Never waste time getting dressed or gathering valuables.
Get Out and Stay Out; do not re-enter the building.
Call the fire department from a safe place away from the fire building.
Do not wait until there is an
emergency. Develop
a fire escape plan and practice it with the whole family.
Everyone should know at least two ways out of every room and know where
to meet outside. Practice the
plan as a drill with the whole family at least twice a year.
If
you encounter smoke on your way out of a fire, use your second way out instead.
If you must escape through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to the exit.
Security
bars on windows can trap you in a fire. Use
bars that have a quick release mechanism that everyone in the family can
operate.
Fire
drills are not just for children. Drills
should be practiced by EVERYONE - at home, work, place of worship, even on vacation.
Know what to do if there is a fire in the building NOW, before a fire
occurs.
Read more at ARE YOU PREPARED
Do you have working fire extinguishers and do you know how to properly and safely use them? If you do not know how to use a fire extinguisher, now is not the time to read the directions, evacuate the building.
The purpose of the fire extinguisher is only to put out a small fire. You must maintain a clear and safe path for you to escape. Keep your back to the door, face the fire, and be ready to abandon your efforts and evacuate the building if the fire grows larger or is not being extinguished in a few seconds. You do not want to box yourself in a corner.
When
using a fire extinguisher, remember P.A.S.S.
Pull the pin.
Aim the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the fire.
Squeeze the trigger
while holding the extinguisher upright. Sweep the
extinguisher from side to side covering the fire area.
Reduce fires and injuries leave fireworks to the professionals.
Store flammable liquids and gases (gasoline, kerosene, propane and others) in the proper container, in a well ventilated area outside of the home.
Use any flammable liquids and gasses only for their intended purpose. Do not use these liquids for cleaning or other improper uses.
Fire prevention saves lives and property!
Be careful with fire, it can kill
Big fires start small.
More
deaths result from fire in the U.S. than from floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes
combined.
Never give fire a place to start.
A
false fire alarm is costly and dangerous, and may result in injury or death.
Do
your children know what to do if a fire should start? Now is the time to be sure that they do know.
Make
sure that all fires started in your home are friendly fires.
"LEARN
NOT TO BURN"
Adults
over the age of 65 and preschool children have the highest risk of dying in a
home fire.
Practice fire safety every day
The
United States continues to have one of the highest death rates caused by fire in
the world.
Smoking materials are the leading cause of fire-related deaths in the home.
Cooking is the leading cause of house fires and civilian injuries.
Read more at DID YOU KNOW
Water your Christmas tree daily and be sure it is placed away from exits and heat sources. Make sure holiday lights are approved by an approved testing laboratory and are in good condition.
When
selecting an artificial tree, select a model that is fire retardant/fire
resistant.
If
the tree has a built-in electrical system, it should carry the UL marker.
If you select a live tree, it should be deep green in color and have a strong scent of pine.
Make
sure the needles are attached firmly to the twigs and that the needles can be
bent without breaking. This ensures
a recently cut tree, fresh and not dried out. If the needles fall off the tree
easily the tree is already too dry.
When
setting the tree up for display, cut about 2 inches off of the trunk and mount
it in a sturdy, water holding stand.
Keep
the tree supplied with an adequate amount of water to keep it from drying out.
Never
set the tree close to heating sources such as registers, radiators or
fireplaces.
Heaters need space. When using heating equipment (furnace, fireplace, stove), remember to keep anything that can burn, including people and pets, at least three feet away. Always have your heating equipment (including chimneys and flues) inspected and maintained on a regular basis by a qualified person.
Always
place a screen in front of a fireplace.
Never use gasoline or charcoal to start a fire in the fireplace or woodstove.
Adults over the age of 65 and preschool children have the highest risk of dying in a house fire.
You should have a Smoke Detector for each regularly occupied area in your house. You can't have too many Smoke Detectors.
Test your smoke detectors monthly.
Clean your smoke detector with a vacuum cleaner monthly. This will remove dust, dirt and spider webs that could prevent the detector from working properly.
Batteries should be changed every 6 months.
Replace your smoke detector every 10 years or if it continues to beep after a new battery has been installed.
Place smoke detectors inside and outside every bedroom, and on every level of the home.
Read more at DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE OR THOSE YOU CARE ABOUT