Dropping in with a few hot tips (see what I did there?) for fire safety must do’s from reliable sources because it’s Fire Prevention Week and I want all you lovely people to be safe.
1. #CloseBeforeYouDoze: Close your bedroom door when you go to sleep. It blocks smoke, heat, and flames. Smoke inhalation kills more people than flames. Stop the smoke by closing your door. I’ve seen images of two doors to two bedrooms on the same hallway after a fire, one door was closed and one door was open during the fire. The difference is jaw-dropping. You can see for yourself here:
For more, go to CloseYourDoor.org. This source is expert, reliable info for the public on why to #CloseBeforeYouDoze, from UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute, who are great people doing fabulous work. I’ve had the privilege of working with them several times and they are first-rate and committed to public safety and the health of firefighters and fire investigators.
2. Have an escape plan and practice it with your kids, elders, all household members. If a fire starts, get out. You may have as little as 2-3 minutes before the interior environment becomes unsurvivable. Read Fire Prevention Week info from the National Fire Protection Association and download their safety tip sheets.
NFPA recommends:
- Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
- Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
- Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.
- Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day and at night.
3. Install modern, working smoke detectors on every floor, outside every sleeping area, and inside every room where someone sleeps. Yes, that’s a lot of detectors. They are money well spent. If you can’t afford them, contact your local fire department or municipality as many of them have free smoke detector programs. NFPA advises that smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound. NFPA has more info on choosing detectors. Did you know there’s more than one kind of smoke detector? Yep. Photoelectric senses smoldering fires and ionization senses open flaming fires. We put dual detectors in our house. Please make sure you have working detectors. Without them, your risk of dying in a fire goes up signficantly. There have recently been several multi-fatality fires in residences with no working smoke detectors. Please get this basic protection for your family. Be safe.
Don’t put off doing these three fire safety must-do’s. If a fire occurs in your home, like it does for thousands of families every year, having done these fire safety must-do’s will give you and your loved ones the best chance of escaping unharmed.
