Fire Safety Tips
Stop, Drop and Roll
If your clothes catch on fire, don't run. Stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your
face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames.
FIRE SAFETY TIPS
- Can a Fire Truck Fit Down Your Driveway?
- Does your driveway present an obstacle for firefighters even before they arrive at your
house? Did you know that there are problems associated with getting fire equipment into a
driveway less than 14 feet wide? Narrow driveways force firefighters and fire trucks
to run over shrubbery and consider other inconvenient options. If the driveway is
impassable, firefighters have to carry their equipment wasting precious time in the process.
- How Visible are Your House Numbers? Can we Find You?
- For the most part, your family, your friends, your neighbors, postal carrier, and many other
associated persons know where you live. When someone that has never been to your home before
is trying to find it, time is not usually a critical element. If they missed your house,
they can always find a phone and call you for directions. So what is the problem? The
ability to locate your home quickly by persons that have NOT been there before becomes an
issue when an emergency arises. Police, Ambulance and Fire personnel need to be able to find
your home easily to be able to help you. If your home does not CLEARLY show your address,
it can delay vital emergency help to you or even your neighbors. Minutes can seem like
hours when you are waiting for emergency crews to arrive in your time of need. Help them to
help you.
- The LARGER the numbers, the BETTER. Standing six (6) feet away from your mailbox with
one inch letters may seem sufficient. However, in an ambulance rushing to help a heart
attack victim, it is very difficult to see.
- Kitchen
- All electrical appliances and tools should have a testing agency label.
- Have appliances repaired if they aren't working right.
- Don't overload outlets.
- Water and electricity combined cause shock. Have dry hands; don't stand in
water. If an appliance gets wet, have it serviced.
- Don't store things over the stove. People get burned reaching. Turn pot handles
so children can't pull them down. Wear tight sleeves when you cook. Loose-fitting
garments can catch fire.
- Living or Family Room
- Use large ashtrays.
- Before you go to bed, look under cushions for burning cigarettes.
- Use a metal fireplace screen. Have the chimney checked and cleaned regularly.
- Put lighters and matches where small children can't find them.
- Allow air space around the TV and stereo to prevent overheating. If the TV doesn't
work right, it can be a fire danger. Have it checked out.
- Keep portable heaters away from people and combustibles.
- Basement, Garage, and Storage
- Store gasoline and other flammables in tight metal containers. Don't use
flammable liquids near heat, a pilot light, or while smoking.
- Have heating equipment checked yearly.
- Clean up your workbench. Keep flammables away from sparks.
- If a fuse blows, find the cause. (Replace a fuse with one of the correct size.)
- Never refuel a hot lawnmower. Let it cool first.
- Bedroom
- Buy a smoke detector and install it outside your sleeping area.
- Plan two escapes from each bedroom.
- Do no smoke in bed.
- Do not overload electrical outlets.
- What to do If you have a fire.
- Get out immediately; Don't try and grab your possessions. They can be
replaced - you can't.
- Have a pre-determined place to meet all the occupants of the residence so everyone
can be accounted for.
- Call the Fire Department; Don't assume someone else has.
- Give any information you can to the fire department regarding the location of the fire
and what is burning.
SMOKE ALARMS
Working smoke alarms provide invaluable early warning for occupants. 95% of all homes in the
US now have smoke alarms, but the number of homes with non-working smoke alarms outnumbers
the number of homes without smoke alarms. Smoke detector batteries should be checked monthly
and changed every year.
- Install a smoke alarm on every floor.
- Install a smoke alarm in each sleeping area.
- Make sure everyone recognizes the sound of the smoke alarms in your home.
- Test your smoke alarm every month.
- Replace the battery in your smoke alarm every year.
- Never borrow a battery from a smoke alarm.
- Never paint a smoke alarm.
PASS SYSTEM
The PASS System demostrates how it helps you operate a fire extinguisher when the stakes are high.
When using an extinguisher, there is a simple acronym to remember to operate most fire extinguishers.
PASS stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep.
- Pull - the pin at the top of the cylinder. Some units require
the releasing of a lock latch or pressing a puncture lever.
- Aim - the nozzle at the base of the fire.
- Squeeze - or press handle.
- Sweep - the contents from side to side at the base of
the fire until it goes out
- Shut off the extinguisher and then watch carefully for a rekindling of the fire.
