SafetyDude's Safety Tip of the Week
Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15
Protect your Family from Fire is the theme for 2011
As an ex-veteran volunteer Firefighter, I have seen the destruction to a family caused by a fire in their home. All too many times, the person that died in the fire went back into the house to try to get someone they thought was still inside the home. Not knowing that the person was already safely outside.
Are you prepared for a home fire emergency?
-
Have you tested your smoke detectors within the last month?
-
Are your smoke detectors less than ten years old?
-
Do you have a smoke detector on every floor?
-
Is there a smoke detector in every bedroom?
-
Does your family have an established evacuation plan in case of a fire?
-
Is the home evacuation plan tested on a regular basis?
-
Is home evacuation plan communicated to family and friends when they stay overnight?
-
Does the home evacuation plan designate a "family safe meeting place"?
-
Do you have fire extinguishers located on each floor? Are these fire extinguishers inspected monthly?
If you can't answer YES to each of the above questions, you need to take action TONIGHT!
Children are taught the importance of fire evacuation and safe meeting places at school. They know the concept. Ensure that they understand how to escape your home by having regular test drills.
Ensure that your plan has a secondary exit if the main exitway is involved in the fire. Consider that you are in each room of the house, your normal route out is blocked by fire. How do you get out safely?
Consider purchasing emergency ladders for second floor bedrooms that do not have a safe exit.
Put the plan onto paper so that it can be reviewed on a regular basis, and communicated to visitors staying overnight.
Test your smoke detectors monthly. Put it on your Outlook calendar.
Don't just rely on the test button. Standing on a safe step ladder (not a chair), light either a candle or match and blow it out. Allow the smoke to set off the detector.
When you vacuum the floors, quickly pass the vacuum hose over the smoke detector.
Change the batteries in your smoke detectors in the spring and fall when the time changes.
Picture of the Week
