How to Keep your Family Safe from Fire

The 10 most common causes of house fires include: cooking, children playing with fire, smoking, the furnace, electrical problems, candles, the fireplace, clothes dryer, storage of flammable materials, and Christmas trees. No matter what the cause, your main concern is the safety of family members. Here are ways to keep your family safe.

Install Fire Safety Equipment

Here is fire safety equipment you need to not only keep family members safe, but reduce fire damage to your house and possessions:

·         Smoke Detectors – Lack of a properly functioning smoke detector is responsible for most fire-related deaths in homes. They need to be tested monthly and replaced every 10 years.

·         Carbon Monoxide Detectors – Carbon monoxide can make family members very sick or even cause their death. It is especially dangerous since it is colorless and odorless.

·         Escape Ladders – If you have more than one story in your house, you should have one fire escape ladder in each room on the upper floor.

·         Home Fire Sprinklers – These can put out a fire before it has a chance to grow and spread, saving lives and possessions.

·         Fire Extinguishers – There should be a multipurpose fire extinguisher in the kitchen, workshop, and garage.

Have and Practice an Evacuation Route

All members of the family need to know how to safely leave the house. The evacuation route needs to be practiced very often. Also practice alternate routes, such as using a different door or window, in case fire or dense smoke is blocking an exit.

Learn What to Do During a Fire

·         Leave the house immediately

·         Don't stop to get valuables

·         Test doors for heat and if they are hot, do not open

·         Bend down or crawl under smoke

·         If there is a lot of smoke, cover your nose with a T-shirt or wet rag

·         Stop, Drop, and Roll

·         Don't re-enter the house once you are out

·         Meet outside in a designated place

·         Stay a safe distance away from the house

How to Prepare for Commercial Fire Emergencies

There are around 80,000 commercial fires in the United States every year. These cause approximately

3,000 deaths, 18,000 injuries, and over $10 billion in damages.

Here are the top causes of commercial fires and ways to prepare for a fire emergency:

Common Causes

It is important to know how and where most commercial fires start, so you can try to prevent them. Common causes are:

·         Cooking: Typically caused by employees cooking places other than the kitchen

·         Electrical: Usually caused by violations of electrical codes or an overloaded system

·         Heaters/Boilers: Occurs when they are not maintained properly

·         Smoking: Workers smoking in undesignated areas

·         Arson: Usually happens in unused buildings

·         Storage: Storing flammable materials improperly

Preparing the Workplace

Here are steps to ensure the workplace is safe and easy to evacuate:

·         Have fire safety equipment including: fire extinguishers, emergency escape ladders (second floor and above), fire blankets, signage showing this equipment, and the evacuation path

·         Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

·         Put in a sprinkler system

·         Have kitchen hoods with fire extinguishing capabilities

·         Install an alarm system with lights and sound

·         Have emergency lighting

Preparing the Workers

Training is crucial in preparing workers to deal with a fire. Employees need to be reminded annually of emergency procedures. Topics to cover when training workers:

·         Places where cooking is allowed

·         Location of designated smoking areas

·         Proper storage procedures

·         Location of fire safety equipment and proper use of each

·         Operation of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment

·         Exit routes in all parts of the building and location of all exits

·         Shutdown procedures

·         Type and location of fire hazards in the building

·         Where to meet outside

When the fire alarm activates:

·         Leave the building quickly

·         Do not use elevators in a fire

·         Feel a door before you open it

·         Stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch fire

·         If there is smoke, lower your body

·         Never re-enter until given the all clear

What Your Fire Safety Evacuation Plan Needs to Have In It

When it comes to preparing you and your family for the event of a fire, coming up with a fire evacuation plan is essential in making sure everyone is safe. So how do you start to prepare your evacuation plan? Here are some tips on what it should have in it so that everyone is out of harm’s way in the event of fire.

A safe place – Every fire evacuation plan should have a safe place in mind for everyone to gather. The safe place can be across the street from your home, the large tree at the front of your house, or a neighbor’s yard. As long as the place is away from the home and fire, establishing your safe place ahead of time can help to save everyone’s lives.

Visible home numbers – Is your house street number visible from the road? If not, making sure that it is visible from that distance is a crucial step in your fire evacuation plan. This ensures that your home can be seen by emergency responders in the event of a fire. If your numbers aren’t visible from the road, painting them on your mailbox or having larger numbers installed on the exterior of your home can help.

Escape ladders – If you live in a multi-level home, consider purchasing an emergency escape ladder or two and including them in your fire safety plan. If the fire is in the bottom part of the home and is blocking all your exits to safety, having an emergency escape ladder in one of your upper floor rooms can help get everyone out of the home safely. 

Best Things to Do in an Emergency

An emergency can be natural, like a severe storm or earthquake, or caused by humans, like fires, chemical spills, explosions, or violence. If you own a home or office building with several floors, having emergency escape ladders available will help family members and workers climb down to safety. Here are the best things to do during an emergency at home or work.

At Home

One of the main emergencies that require fast action is a fire. Fire can spread quickly so here are the steps to take:

·         Alert everyone and get out immediately

·         Do not delay by investigating the fire or looking for pets or valuables

·         If there is smoke, crawl along the floor

·         Feel a door before opening and don't open if it is warm

·         Never use an elevator

·         If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop to the floor, and roll. If you can't do this, use a blanket or towel to smother the fire

·         Do not go back into the home

·         Call 911

·         Alert firefighters about people or pets still in the home

Here are things to do in other emergencies:

·         Get your emergency kit. If you have to leave, grab it on the way out

·         Call for help as soon as possible

·         If an evacuation order is issued, turn off the utilities and follow the evacuation instructions

·         Tune to a NOAA weather radio if you are staying in your home

·         During a natural disaster, let others know you are OK by either responding to texts and calls quickly or using the Red Cross Safe and Well platform

At Work

Here are steps to take if you are at work when an emergency occurs:

·         Stay calm

·         Assess the danger

·         Get away from danger by leaving the area, following an evacuation plan or taking cover

·         Listen for instructions from managers or supervisors

·         If there is a fire, do not use the elevator

If smoke is present, go low and stay under it

Teaching Children Fire Safety

Talking about fire safety is one of the most important conversations you can have with your child. What they learn will help them in the event of any fire at any time in their lives. Consider talking to your child about these fire safety lessons:

Show your child how to safely exit a room in the event of a fire emergency. There are always two ways to get out of a room. If necessary, show them how to use an emergency escape ladder. Remind them that they should always use stairways and never an elevator.

Demonstrate how to use a door to tell if it’s safe to leave the room. Remember to look under the door for smoke and to never touch a doorknob when scoping out the situation. If the door is compromised, tell them to use the other exit.

When telling them how to leave a building, if safe, crawl on the floor and cover their mouths and nose with their shirt. This will prevent them from inhaling smoke or other dangerous fumes. Tell them not to stop for belongings or pets. When outside, tell them to stay outside and find an emergency responder if another family member is not around.

Teaching children about fire safety is extremely beneficial. In addition to your conversation, consider finding a community event where your local fire department is attending. Letting your child talk to first responders and see what equipment they use can not only be enriching for them, but can also solidify your safety talks. Either way, your child is bound to learn a lot and be safe in the event of a fire! 

Contact us today to learn more about investing in our emergency ladders.