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- Fire Safety Checklist
- Fire Safety Inspection
- Fire Escape Plan
If you wake up to a fire...
Immediately Take These Steps!
1.Alert others by shouting "FIRE"
2.Walk in a crouched position.
3.Escape through the nearest exit.
4.DON'T waste time dressing.
5.DON'T try to gather valuables.
6.Never open a hot door.
7.If possible, place a wet cloth over nose and mouth.
8.Close all doors behind you.
9.Meet at a pre-established location outside your home.
10.Call fire department from a neighbor's phone.
11.NEVER GO BACK INTO A BURNING HOUSE!
Fire Safety Inspection
Smoke Alarms: The most crucial apparatus in the house. Their sole purpose is to get you and your family out of a building which is on fire, their main function is in alarming people, especially when they are sleeping, as this is when many fatalities occur. The reason for this is when we sleep, we lose our senses: the sense of touch, hearing, sight, smell, taste and even consciousness.
If we cannot see fire, smell it, or hear it, how can we be alarmed? At this point we are technically comatose because the fire is consuming the oxygen in the home putting us into a deeper sleep. Don't forget, the larger the fire gets - the more oxygen it consumes from your brain. Sometimes in spite of alarms, people do perish because they think they are escaping, when in fact (because of the lack of precious oxygen we so desparately need for our survival ), they are stumbling aimlessly and blindly until the end.
•Check smoke alarms with a lit cigarette or by holding a match under it. If it does not work, check batteries. If it does not work with new batteries - REPLACE it. •Make sure you have enough smoke alarms, which are strategically located throughout the home. One should be located on the outer side of the bedroom, one centered, one on the far end of the home and one or two in the basement or upper floor (if multi-story). For added security, place another in the attic, in case of a roof fire.
Bedroom Doors - Open / Closed
Do you sleep with your bedroom door open or closed?
If your door is open when a fire stricks and the fire is for an example started on the furthest end of the home say, 60 feet away from your room, there could possibly be a flame in a trash receptacle and if there is no body movement or air flow from the furnace to move the smoke or heated air to the centered alarm, it could take quite a long time for this to occur. The front of the home could be a blazing inferno (consuming the oxygen from the entire home) and removing oxygen from your brain. With your bedroom doors open, there is no barrier between you and the fire. It is not unusual that people have 1 to 6 minutes to get out of the house before conditions prohibit exit.
If your door is closed it acts like a fire wall between you and the fire. as an example, let's say a fire occurs on the far end of a home and consumes all the oxygen it can. The bedroom is in fact cut off from the fire via the closed door. At this point, you have two options, and if you are awakened suddenly by an alarm, noise, etc. your room still contains that precious oxygen we all need for our survival. You may be awakened suddenly, but your brain is still functioning. You can think because you are awake! The first option is to touch the door to see if it is cold. If so, you may open it. It could be a fake alarm from a faulty smoke alarm. But if the door is hot, that means there is a fire burning out of control. If you open the door at this point, flashover (the ball of fire that roars through the home and takes it down )could occur right in your face at 19 feet per second! Don't open the door, exit through your window.
Fire Safety Checklist
Smoke Alarms
•Check smoke alarms with a lit cigarette or by holding a match under it. If it does not work, check batteries. If it does not work with new batteries - REPLACE it. •Make sure you have enough smoke alarms, which are strategically located throughout the home. One should be located on the outer side of the bedroom, one centered, one on the far end of the home and one or two in the basement or upper floor (if multi-story). For added security, place another in the attic, in case of a roof fire.
Bedroom
•Never smoke in bed. •Never leave ciggarettes burning unattended. •Don't burn a candle near your bed. You might fall asleep before extinguishing it. •Make sure clothing and other combustible items are not near closet lights. •Keep portable space heaters at least three feet away from combustible materials (curtains, closets, furniture, etc. ) •Check all electrical outlets and cords to make sure they are in good repair. Exposed wires will cause fires!
Kitchen
•Appliances: Appliances not in use such as toasters, coffee pots, and can openers, etc. should be unplugged. Even though they are not in use, there is still electricity flowing from the wall outlet into the cord all the way up to the switch on the appliance. That cord could short circuit and throw a spark at you or a curtain and cause a fire. •Avoid too many plugs in one outlet. Prevent overheating by plugging only one major appliance into an outlet. •Keep exhaust fan/motor/duct, stove and oven free of grease. •Keep the heating elements of appliances clean. •Check the electrical cords and plugs for fraying, cracking or wear. •Don't wear loose clothing while cooking. Clothing ignites easily. •When cooking, turn handles inward so children can't reach them. •Remove flammable materials (i.e.lacquers or household cleaners) and rags from under sink.
Living Room / Dining Room
•Never put electrical cords under a carpet. Walking on a cord can damage it and lead to a fire. •Make sure extension cords are not near furniture, textiles or anything that may ignite byspark from a short circuit. •Do not overload circuits. Re-route if necessary. •Check for fraying, cracking or wear on all electrical cords. •Roll up any slack in extension cords and keep away from flammables. •Check the television set and make sure it is properly ventilated, so it won't overheat. A television set, even though it may be turned off, still stores over 20,000 volts of electricity, which is plenty of power to create a flame. Make sure the back side of the set is away from drapes, sheers, etc. •Don't leave cigarettes burning unattended. Keep ashtrays on stable surfaces. The ashtry should be large enough to fully contain the smoking material. •Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children. •Fireplaces: Always use a fire screen. Keep all furniture and other combustibles at least three feet away from fire. When not in use, the fireplace should be void of all flammable materials.
Attic
•Never leave wiring or cabling exposed in the attic area. •Don't let the attic become too cluttered. •Never put combustibles near the chimney.
Laundry Room
•Do not pile clothing too close to hot water heater. •Keep dryer exhaust duct and housing free of lint. •Don't leave home or go to bed while dryer is running.
Basement / Garage
•Keep combustibles away from heating equipment. •Repeatly blown fuses or tripped circuit breakes are signs of an overloaded electrical system. Have it inspected and fixed. •Never store paints, solvents, gasoline, etc. near heating equipment, especially equipment with pilot lights. •Oil rags and paiting materials can spontaneously ignite. Store them in airtight metal containers with self closing lids. •Store flammable and combustible liquids in airtight metal cans in a well ventilated area. •Store gasoline in a UL gas container and keep it where a car can't run over it.
Exterior
•Make sure you have a chimney screen. Hot ashes and embers can escape and ignite your roof or trees. •Have your chimney cleaned every three years (normal use) - every year if you burn a lot of wood. •Keep outdoor cooking equipment at least three feet from house. •Use only lighting fluids specifically designed for charcoal fires. Never use a liquid after the fire is lit. •Store propane for gas grills outdoors. •Check gas grill for leaks. •Store charcoal in a cool, dry area. Under certain conditions, it can self-ignite. •Dispose of coals or ashes in a metal container - not cardboard or other combustible material. They may appear dead, they they may be hot enough to start a fire. •Make sure your TV antenna is properly grounded.
Your Escape Plan
Preparing the Fire Escape Floor Plan:
As in the example, use heavy red arrows to designate the NORMAL exit from each room. Use green arrows to designate the alternate, or emergency exits. Always plan TWO escape routes from each room.
1.Draw the Basic Floor Plan: Sketch exterior walls on gird. Add interior walls and label each room. Indicate location of doors, windows, stairs, or any rooftops that may be used for escape.
2.Room Inspections: In each room, select the best window for an emergency escape. Test window and screen for ease of opening or removal. See that window is large and low enough to use.
3.Draw escape routes on plan: Use heavy red arrows to show normal exits through hall or stairway. Use green colored arrows to indicate emergency exits in case of fire or smoke blocks normal exits.
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