Fires
Fire Prevention Tips
The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property in the event of a fire:
• Install smoke alarms. Properly working smoke alarms decrease your chances of dying in a fire by half.
• Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence, including the basement.
• Install a working carbon monoxide detector in the common area of the bedrooms.
• Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms once every 10 years.
COOKING SAFETY
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Always wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook.
• Keep towels, pot holders and curtains away from flames
• Never use the range or oven to heat your home.
ESCAPING THE FIRE
• Have an escape plan. Review escape routes with your family.
• Stay low to the floor, where the air is safer, when escaping from a fire.
• In high-rise, never block fire exits or doorways, halls or stairways. Never prop stairway or other fire doors open.
ELECTRICAL WIRING
• Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose plugs
• Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
• Make sure wiring does not run under rugs, over nails, or across high traffic areas.
• Do not overload extension cords or outlets.
ESCAPE A FIRE
• Check closed doors with the back of your hand to feel for heat before you open them.
• If the door is hot do not open it. Find a second way out, such as a window. If you cannot escape through a window, hang a white sheet outside the window to alert firefighters to your presence.
• Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding or tape and cover vents to keep smoke out.
• If there is a phone in the room where you are trapped, call the fire department again and tell them exactly where you are.
• If the door is cold slowly open it and ensure that fire and/or smoke is not blocking your escape route. If your escape route is blocked, shut the door and use another escape route.
• If clear, leave immediately and close the door behind you. Be prepared to crawl.
