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Every few seconds a fire breaks out in a home somewhere. Somebody may die in these burning homes. If every family would take a few simple precautions many deaths are preventable. Six steps to safeguarding your family against home fires include: smoking rules, smoke detectors, closing doors, escape plan, keeping an eye on the kids and home inspection.
(1) Set smoking rules. Careless handling of cigarettes, matches and other smoking materials spark fires in homes that cause residential fire deaths. Decide if smoking is acceptable or forbidden in your home. If smoking is allowed, furnish large non-tipping ashtrays. After smokers leave, check every sofa, chair, ashtray and wastebasket for hazards. Do not allow anyone to smoke in bed. Nurmerous fatalities result from smoking in bed or smoldering cigarettes falling into upolstered furniture.
(2) Install smoke detectors. Deadly fire gases can cause deaths in dwellings. Many smoldring fires occur during the normal sleeping hours between 10 pm. and 6 am. Home fire-alarm systems generally react to heat and smoke and set off an alarm loud enough to be heard by the deepest sleeper. The best places to install one is in the kitchen, outside the bedroom door and on each floor level.
(3) Sleep with the bedroom doors closed. This is a simple safty precaution to take, but can be one of the most important. There is little time allowence with toxic smoke and lethally hot air for one to escape the dangers. A closed door can stall the time it takes for a fire starting elsewhere to become intolerable or fatal inside the room.
(4) Make a family escape plan. Not knowing what to do can make a person blunder into a deadly mistake. Teach family members what to do and what to expect before they are confronted by a fire. Make them aware of certain situations such as electrial failure and being in the dark or breathing difficulty due to the smoke. Normal exits may be blocked by heat or smoke. Everyone should be aware of at least two ways out of every room, how to open windows and screens and how to open folding ladders if needed for upstairs windows. Plan how to rescue infants, elderly persons or handicapped persons.
Have periodic drills. First, warn everybody. Second, get everybody out, fast. Third, get out yourself. Fourth, call the fire department.
(5) Keep an eye on the kids. A number of children are victims of fire. Many times children are either alone or left unsupervised at the time of a fire. Keep matches and lighters beyond the reach of these crafty explorers. When they are school age, teach them to handle matches carefully, with crystal-clear rules that they may only light up when you are with them. Teach children to stay a safe distance from all open flames and cook stoves.
(6) Inspect your home. Have regular check-ups for fire hazards. Has your furnace been inspected within a year? Faulty heating equipment cause numerous fatal residential fires. Make sure gas-burning equipment has no leaks. Portable heaters cause many fires. Make sure heaters are in perfect condition and kept away from combustible materials. Another matter for inspection would be the electrical equipment. Does the wiring need updating? Consider all flammable materials such as paints, thinners, gasoline, adhesives, etc. All should be contained in leakproof, tightly closed, shatterproof containers and stored in a cool place.
Fire prevention is possible when you practice " Home Fire Safety " and prepare a fire escape plan. These Six steps can help to give you one of the best life insuring plans possible for you and your family.
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