Information for preventing house fires and how to escape houses that are burning. A guide to things to check in the household.
A home is a vulnerable place for a fire. There are many fabrics, plastics and other materials that can go up in smoke or flames. The time a family should think about fire is before one happens. These tips can help a family be safer in the event of a fire.
1. Have a fire escape plan. Each family should work together to construct an escape plan from the home. This plan should include several routes of escape. If only one escape route is developed, it could be worthless if it is in flames.
Go through the plan and assign each family member two escape routes from their rooms. One could be the door. The other could be the window, if the door is inaccessible during a fire. Do your kids know how to unlock windows? Do you believe they are ready to learn?
Close the door of the room where a fire exists to slow the spreading. And close the door of your escape route if you are not going out through the door, to prevent the fire from entering that room.
Tell kids to stay low because smoke tends to be worse in the top parts of a room.
The escape plan should include a meeting spot OUTSIDE THE HOME where the family can congregate in the event of a fire.
Many fire escape items, such as ladders, are available through catalogs and stores. Check out these items and see if they would work to protect your family in the event of a fire.
Children should be taught NOT to re-enter a burning home, no matter what. Calls to 911 can be made from a neighbor's home.
2. Have monthly fire drills. Set aside one time a month for a fire drill. Practice the escape plan and going to the meeting place.
3. Have smoke alarms throughout the house, outside each bedroom, near the stairway leading upstairs. Test the alarms every month. This can be done on the same monthly day that your family does a Fire Drill.
4. Teach kids the importance of not playing with the stove, electrical outlets or matches. Leave matches out of children's reach.
5. Do not set towels, pot holders or other flammable items near a stove top. They can easily catch on fire.
6. Keep the area in front of a toaster oven clear. Many fires are started with a stack of items in front of a toaster oven accidentally pull down the lever, starting the toaster oven and starting a fire. Be even safer and unplug your toaster oven (and other appliances) when not in use.
7. Have electrical problems checked by a certified electrician. Problems like lights that flicker could be signs of fire-causing trouble.
8. Keep dryers clean and lint free, and in good working order.
9. Do not store flammables in attics or garages. If an item says, "store in a cool dry place," attics or garages are not proper storage areas.
10. Visit your local fire station. You may want to call first or schedule a tour with a scout troop. Fire departments have a great deal of information to share, and it is presented in a kid-friendly way.
The more kids know about fire safety, and the more fire safe a home is, the better off they will be in the event of a fire.
