1 Install
Smoke Detectors
Working smoke detectors can alert you to a fire in your home in
time for you to escape, even if you are sleeping. Install smoke detectors
on every level of your home, including the basement, and outside each
sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, install one inside your
sleeping area as well.
Test detectors every month, following the manufacturers directions, and
replace batteries once a year or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal
low battery power. Never "borrow" a smoke detectors battery for another
use - a disabled detector can't save your life. Replace detectors that are
more than 10 years old.
For complete protection, consider installing automatic fire sprinklers
in addition to smoke detectors.
2 Keep An
Eye On Smokers
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North
America. Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be fatal. Provide
smokers with large, deep, non-tip ashtrays, and soak butts with water
before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving the home after
someone has been smoking, check under and around cushions and upholstered
furniture for smoldering cigarettes.
3 Cook
Carefully
Never leave cooking unattended. keep cooking areas clear of combustibles,
wear clothes with short, rolled-up, or tight-fitting sleeves when you
cook.
Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and
children can't grab them. enforce a "kid-free zone" that is three feet
(one meter) around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan,
slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat
source. Leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool.
4 Plan
Your Escape From Fire
If a fire breaks out in your home, you have
to get out fast. Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your
family and designing an escape plan.
Be sure that everyone knows at least two unobstructed
ways out - doors and windows - from every room. (If you live in an
apartment building, use the stairs - do not include elevators in your
escape plan.) Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone will gather
after they escape. Have your entire household practice your escape plan at
least twice a year.
5
Give Space Heaters Space
Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter)
away from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from
heaters, and never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed.
6
Remember: Matches And Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys
In a child's hands, matches and lighters
can be deadly. Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and
lighters up high, where kids can't see or reach them, preferably in a
locked cabinet. Teach young children that matches and lighters are tools,
not toys, and should be used by adults only or with adult supervision.
Teach young children not to touch them and to tell a grown up if they find
matches or lighters; older children should bring matches and lighters to
an adult immediately.
7 Cool A
Burn
Run cool water over a burn for about 10 to
15 minutes. Never apply ice. It is dangerous to put butter or any other
grease on a burn because it seals in the heat and can damage the tissue
further. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a doctor
immediately.
8 Use
Electricity Safely
If an electric appliance smokes or has an
unusual smell, unplug it immediately, and have it serviced before using it
again. Replace any electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don't
overload extension cords or run them under rugs. Don't tamper with your
fuse box or use improperly sized fuses.
9 Crawl
Low Under Smoke
During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases
rise with the heat. The air is cleaner near the floor. If you encounter
smoke or flames while you are escaping from a fire, use an alternative
escape route. If you must escape through smoke, crawl on your hands and
knees, keeping your head 12 to 14 inches (30 to 60 centimeters) above the
floor.
10 Stop,
Drop and Roll
If your clothes catch 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.
