Fire, Health & Safety Information

Smoke Detectors

How important are smoke detectors? Smoke detectors are critical to surviving a night time fire. Most fatal home fires occur at night, while people sleep.

Do smoke detectors really save lives? Yes, there are many stories of how smoke detectors have awaken family members and resulted in survival of a night time fire. Having smoke detectors in your home, double your chances of survival.

Where do I install smoke detectors? Detector should be placed on ceiling or on the wall 6 to 12 inches from the ceiling and should be placed in each sleeping area. Detectors should not be placed near furnace or air conditioner vents.

Install smoke detectors on every level, near bedrooms, in the garage and away from air vents.

If you sleep with your bedroom door closed you should have a smoke detector in your bedroom.

What if my smoke detector is continually sounding? Look to see what is causing the detector to sound. It could be that your placement is too close to vents, cooking areas, etc. Don't remove the detectors battery, move the detector to a better place.

How do I maintain a smoke detector? Most important make sure that your batteries are changed once a year. Dont remove the batteries because of a nuisance or to use the batteries for something else. To clean the detector follow the manufacturers instructions that come with the detector. Vacuum the detector at least once a year. Vacuuming clears dust and/or bugs that may be in the unit.

Test the batteries monthly and replace them at least once a year. A good practice is to change your battery each Fall when you set your clock back.

What should my family know? Plan your escape with all family members. Know 2 ways out and practice the plan. It is especially important to train your children. There is nothing more frightening than a fire in the night. Get out of the house quickly and NEVER go back for anything. Fire fighters will take care of getting to pets if they are still inside. Meet at a central meeting place so you know everyone is out. Go to a neighbor's house and call the fire department.

National Fire Protection Association Information:

Portable/Space Heaters

Maintain a 36" clearance around all heating devices.
Never leave children or pets unsupervised around portable heaters.
Never place clothes close to or on a portable heater to dry.
Always check to see that electrical wires are in good condition and not frayed.
Purchase portable heaters that have been listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
Follow manufacturer's instructions for installation, maintenance and use.
Plug heaters directly into wall socket and unplug them when not in use.

Portable Kerosene Heaters

Use only the recommended fuel. NEVER USE GASOLINE, it will cause an explosion.
Always turn the portable heater off before refueling.
Allow the heater time to cool before refueling.
Always refuel your kerosene heater outside to keep from spilling fuel in the house.
Store your gasoline away from open flame or heat in an approved container that is clearly marked as to its contents.
Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heater, inculding blankets, clothing, curtains, furniture and anything else that could get hot and catch fire.

Fireplaces/Woodstoves

Have your chimney/flue inspected by a professional before every heating season, cleaned if necessary.
Always have a sturdy screen in place in front of your fireplace
Burn only wood (dry, well seasoned hardwood)
Do NOT burn newspaper, wrapping paper, or dried greenery.
NEVER use flammable liquids for any reason in a fireplace.
Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from fireplace.

Safe Cooking Practices

Never Leave Cooking Unattended!

Keep items away from the stove that could catch fire, such as towels, clothing and curtains.

Wear snug fitting clothes while you are cooking.

If grease catches fire, put a lid on it. Don't try to move burning grease. Put a lid on it. The lid will smother the fire.

Keep a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen, and know how to use it.

WATCH what you HEAT, NEVER LEAVE COOKING UNATTENDED!

Electricity

Use safety plugs in electrical outlets, especially if you have small children.

Avoid overloading electrical outlets and running cords under carpet and furniture.

Extension cords should only be used on a temporary basis.

Extension cords must be large enough to handle appliance without getting hot. Buy only UL approved.

Fire Escape Drills

Plan and practice a fire escape route from every room. Always have Two ways out.

Practice using a fire escape ladder to exit upper levels.

Teach children not to hide from, or be afraid of firefighters.

Identify a Special Meeting Place outside for everyone to meet in case of fire.

Know how to call for emergency assistance. (Neighbors House) Remember 911

Using Your Escape Plan

Crawl low, on your hands and knees, under the smoke.

Feel closed doors with the back of your hand. If hot, use another exit. If not hot, open door slowly and check for smoke and fire.

Once outside go to your designated meeting place and wait for the fire department to arrive.

Make sure you tell the fire department if all of your family is accounted for. If they are not, tell the firemen what room to look in.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire Extinguishers should be installed on each floor.

Mount on wall in a visible area with top of extinguisher 3-5 feet from floor.

A 5 lb. ABC dry chemical extinguisher is a good fire extinguisher for most homes.

Purchase from an extinguisher dealer that specializes in fire extinguishers and only buy extinguishers with metal heads that can be recharged.

Safe Smoking Habits

If you have smokers in your home, you need to watch them carefully. Careless discarding of smoking materials is usually the problem.

Some safety tips:

Never smoke in bed or anywhere that you might fall asleep.

Keep matches and lighters away from children. Matches and lighters are Tools not Toys.

Provide deep, sturdy ashtrays and empty ashtrays regularly.

Always wet the ashtray contents before disposing.

Check upholstery to make sure there are no smoking materials smoldering.

Have smoke detectors installed in your home

Stop, Drop, & Roll

Each year more than 15,000 people are seriously burned when their clothes catch on fire. In more than half of the incidents, flammable liquids or vapors were present on or around the person's clothing. But it can happen in many ways. A person's loose sleeve may catch fire on a hot stove. Someone may be working with gasoline or some other flammable liquid and then light a cigarette. They might spray lighter fluid on a smoldering barbecue fire and the resulting flames could catch their clothes on fire. When a person's clothing catches on fire, action must be instinctive and immediate. There is no time to think.

The one thing you should never do is run.

To minimize a burn injury when your clothes catch fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL. Burns are among the most painful of injuries and the third leading cause of unintentional death in the United States. The hands, groin, face and lungs are at particular risk because they are delicate structures and easily injured. The healing process is slow and painful, resulting in enormous personal suffering.

Certain types of clothing are less flammable and resist flames more than other types of clothing. Heavier clothing and fabrics with a tight knit weave burn more slowly compared with loose knit clothing. Fabrics with a loose fit or a fluffy pile will ignite more readily than tight-fitting, dense fabric clothing. Synthetic fibers, such as nylon, once ignited,melt and burn causing severe burns. Natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, tend to burn more slowly than synthetic fibers. However, fibers that combine both synthetic and natural fibers may be of greater hazard than either fabric alone. Curtains and draperies can be sprayed with flame retardants to reduce their rate of burning. However, these chemicals should not be applied to clothing.

The principles of STOP, DROP and ROLL are simple:

Stop, do not run, if your clothes catch on fire.
Drop to the floor in a prone position.
Cover your face with your hands to protect it from the flames.
Roll over and over to smother the fire. Don't stop until the flames have been extinguished.

If you are near someone whose clothing catches on fire, be sure to stop them from running and make them STOP, DROP and ROLL.

Once the fire is out, you must treat a burn injury.
Cool a burn with water.
Then call 9-1-1.

E.D.I.T.H.

Exit Drills In The Home

Plan to get out alive and stay out!! E.D.I.T.H. prepares you and your family for a safe escape if your home is burning. Have a plan with two ways out of every room, and practice it regularly. Plan a place to meet away from your home such as the mailbox, and count heads to make sure everyone is there.

Please keep at least 1 fire extinguisher in the home. Preferably one should be kept in the kitchen, basement, and garage.