Tip of the Week
Do you have a Family Meeting Place?
Develop a Home Fire Escape Plan!
Because the majority of fatal fires happen at night, it is essential to have working alarms throughout your home to awaken or alert you in case of fire. Some studies have shown that some children may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm. Know what your child will do before a fire occurs.
Smoke alarms need to be installed on each level of the home, including the basement, and outside each separate sleeping area. If you sleep with bedroom doors closed, have a qualified electrician install interconnected smoke alarms in each room so that when one sounds, they all sound. New homes are required to have a smoke alarm in every sleeping room and all smoke alarms must be interconnected.
Test the alarms every month, following the manufacturer's instructions, and replace the batteries once a year or when the alarm "chirps," warning that the battery is low.
Draw a floor plan of your home. You'll need two ways out of every room. One way out would be the door, and the second way out may be a window. Consider purchasing a home fire escape ladder for bedrooms located on second and third floors - review the manufacturer's instructions carefully to be able to use a safety ladder for an emergency escape from a window. Practice setting up the ladder from a first floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly.
Choose an outside meeting place with your family. Make sure it's a safe distance from your home and mark it on the escape plan. Practice having all members of your household report immediately to your outside meeting place during fire drills.
Everyone should memorize the local fire department's emergency phone number, which should be contacted from a neighbor's phone, or by using a nearby portable or cell phone you bring with you as you exit your home.
After you make your plan, practice it! Fire escape plans should be practiced at least twice a year. Pick a date with your family to practice -- make sure that everyone is involved - from kids to grandparents. If there are infants or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them. Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. And once you're out, stay out!
Fire can grow and spread very fast. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as two minutes to escape once the smoke alarm sounds. In 2003, fire killed nearly 4,000 people in the United States and injured someone every 29 minutes. Children ages five and under are twice as likely to die in a fire as the rest of the population.
Home fire escape planning and practice can make a critical difference for your entire family. By developing and practicing a home fire escape plan, your family will know exactly what to do in a fire so everyone can escape quickly and safely.
Canadian Statistics: Between 1997 and 1998, 29 children ages 14 and under died from fire and burn-related injuries and an additional 1,059 were hospitalized.
Apartment Living
If you live in an apartment building, make sure that you're familiar with the building's evacuation plan. In case of a fire, use the stairs, never the elevator. In some cases, the safest action when a fire alarm sounds may be to stay inside your apartment and protect yourself from smoke until the fire department arrives. Seal all doors and vents with duct tape or towels to prevent smoke from entering the room. Open a window at the top and bottom so fresh air can enter. Be ready to close the window immediately if it draws smoke into the room. Call the fire department and let them know that you are still inside the building. Wave a flashlight or light colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located.
This information was found at www.nfpa.org
Please go and check out the NFPA website for more information.
Check Your Smoke Detectors!
The clocks change soon, and so should the batteries in your smoke detector.
Daylight Savings Time starts April 2nd.
Just remember to change the batteries when you change the clocks!
Smoke Detectors Save Lives!
For more information on smoke detectors, click here.
Can we see your house number from the street?
The simple task of making sure your house number is visible both night and day can save lives.
Reflective or illuminated letters are a great idea. Remember, emergencies don't always happen in the daytime hours.
It's also the law in New York State. Please help us to help you.
For more information on Fire Prevention, please click here.
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