Fire Safety is something we start learning at a young age. We can all remember fire drills and practicing
stop, drop, and roll. Even as adults, fire safety education should still be an integral part of our lives.
Knowing what to do if a fire occurs at work and keeping up to date on the latest fire safety regulations,
is just as important as teaching a child not to play with matches. Understanding how to stay safe from the
dangers of fire is a life-long learning process. Here are some fire safety tips that everyone should be
aware of and practice.
Check Your Smoke Alarms:
For fires starting in the unoccupied area of the house or for fries that start during sleep, a smoke alarm
will often be your first sign of trouble. Be sure that the smoke alarms are functioning properly and can be
heard throughout the house, even in rooms with the door closed. It is important that the alarms can be heard
in all the bedrooms with the doors closed. It is a good habit to change the batteries on smoke alarms every
six months.
Talk Fire Safety with Your Kids:
Did you know that Children under the age of 10 cause about 100,000 fires every year? By talking with children
about the importance of fire safety we can work towards greatly reducing this number. It is important to make
children aware of the potentially dangerous behaviors that should be avoided. Here is a quick list of fire
safety tips specifically for children:
- Never play with matches or lighters
- Keep clothes and blankets away from electrical outlets
- Never adjust the thermostat without an adult
- If your clothes catch fire stop, drop, and roll
Avoid Overloading Electrical Outlets:
It is important to monitor how the electrical outlets in your home are being used. Often time’s older homes
have few electrical outlets or they are inconveniently placed. This leads to the use of extension cords, and
power adapters. When outlets become over-taxed they become fire hazards. Do a walkthrough of your home and
make sure your outlets are not being over used.
Check All Doors and Windows To Be Sure They Open Properly
In the case of a fire, you may only have seconds to evacuate your home or office. Be sure that all doors and
windows can be opened with ease and that there are no obstructions blocking doors or windows that would make
evacuating difficult. Make sure that children have a set path to exit the home in case of a fire. Reviewing
this with your children often will prepare them for what to do in case of a fire.
Always Sleep with Your Bedroom Door Closed:
If a fire starts when you are asleep there is no way of knowing how large it has grown by the time you hear
the smoke alarm. Sleeping with your door closed protects you from smoke and growing flames in case of a fire.
If you approach your bedroom door and you feel heat, you immediately know to evacuate through a window. It is
important to explain this situation to your children and make sure they know to do the same.
When most people think of fire safety they think of ways to protect themselves from fires that occur at home.
The NFIRS recently reported that 1 in every 6 fires is a highway vehicle fire. These vehicle fires are
responsible for 490 deaths, 1275 injuries, and $1 billion in property loss every year. Below are some fire
safety tips that can help protect yourself and reduce the number of vehicle fires that occur each year.
Keep Up On Your vehicle Maintenance:
94% of all vehicle fires start either in the engine or in the undercarriage. A car’s engine contains a number
of parts that can overtime become contaminated with oil and other fluids. Due to the massive amount of heat an
engine generates these contaminated parts can become extreme fire hazards under the right conditions. Be sure
to take your car in for regular maintenance and check with the mechanic on the cleanliness of your engine.
Never Use A Fire Extinguisher On A Vehicle Fire:
If you find yourself in a vehicle that catches fire do your best to evacuate and then get far away. Never try
to put a vehicle fire out with a fire extinguisher. There are many fluids and oils that are stored in the
engine of your vehicle. Many of these fluids are flammable and could combust once a fire has started. Once
you have evacuated the vehicle move to a safe distance and call 911.
Take Part Recalls Seriously:
Pay attention to parts recalls issued by the manufactures. In October 2004, the engine of a low-mileage,
late-model sport utility vehicle caught fire. The manufacturer claims the fire was caused by incompetent
mechanics, while mechanics contend that the close proximity of the oil fil¬ter to the exhaust system was
to blame. Similar fires have occurred in over 60 other 2003 or 2004 models made by the same manufacturer.
After these other incidents the manufacture issued a recall. If a parts recall is issued for your vehicle
address the issue right away.