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. 

Preventing Business Fires

When a fire occurs at your place of business, everything has to be put on hold. Not only is the property and equipment you’ve invested in at risk, but business fires put employees in danger. Purchasing an emergency escape ladder is just one of the precautions you can take to prepare your business for potential disasters.

Here are steps to protect your business from fires:

Report and Address Electrical Hazards- Electrical items that are broken can become dangerous. Fix faulty wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment before these things spark a fire.

Maintain Industrial Machinery – Friction sparks and overheating can start fires. By staying on top of upkeep you can help prevent major disasters from occurring.  Ensure safety by servicing machines regularly.

Properly Dispose of Hazardous items – Follow procedures for disposal of combustible waste materials. Left unattended, these can make a small fire a much bigger problem.

Keep the Office Organized – If clutter starts to fill your office space, it can become an obstacle for evacuating the building. On higher floors especially, make sure there is an unobstructed path to the location where you store your emergency escape ladder. Also, out of control clutter can become fuel if a fire does start.

Store chemicals safely – Read labels on all stored chemicals to make sure these are kept in the proper environment. Pay special attention to flammable items and store these in a location that allows ventilation. Businesses that store hazardous goods must follow federal, state and local requirements.

Clear Control Panel Path - Make sure control panels can be accessed easily. This allows you to shut of the electricity quickly if necessary.

Monitor Appliances – Unplug appliances like coffeemakers and microwaves when employees are out of the office. Because computers, copy machines and other appliances are often placed throughout the office can all become fire hazards, you may want to put emergency escape ladders on both ends of the building. Fires often divide floors, making it more difficult to leave the building if there is only one exit.

Post an Emergency Action Plan – This document will specify where exits are and where equipment like the fire extinguisher and emergency escape ladder is kept. Post this information in a visible location.

Give the Gift of Safety

Holidays can be a happy and hectic time of year. Think of the ones you care for this season with the gift of safety in their homes. Here are a few facts about home fires and how you can keep your family and friends safer this holiday season!

·         Home fires result in death primarily between the hours of 11PM and 7AM. This is due to families being asleep and unaware of the emergency.

·         ¼ of all fire deaths begin in the bedroom. Having a smoke detector in every room of the house is essential for keeping your loved ones safe.

·         Cooking and heating equipment are the leading causes of home fire deaths. Keeping hot products on ONLY when someone is monitoring them will help to ensure the safety of your family.

·         According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), only 1/3 of all families are prepared with a home fire escape plan during a time of an emergency. 

Having up-to-date smoke detectors is the first step in keeping your family safe. The second step is to give the gift of a bedroom fire escape ladder. The ladders at ResQLadder.com are specifically designed for homes and offices in times of an emergency escape. Taking the time to equip your family with the escape system they need will provide you with peace of mind. 

Fireplace Safety – How to Protect Your Home

Cold weather is a cozy occasion to light the fireplace in your living room. However, carelessly throwing together a fire without making sure your fireplace and home are ready can be hazardous. You risk subjecting your property to smoke damage, burning furniture and personal items and damaging the structure of your home. If the fire grows, you may endanger your family members and force them to climb down the fire escape ladder in a panic – or worse.   

Review these fireplace safety tips to prevent disaster and ensure that your living room experience is pleasant and warm.

Inside the Fireplace - Use the flu properly. Open the flu before having a fire and close the flu after. Glance up the chimney to make sure it is not blocked. If smoke starts to fill your home rather than flowing up the chimney, there may be something obstructing the chimney. When you build the fire, avoid over-filling the space so much that the lit wood may fall out.

Around the Fireplace- If you have glass doors, open these while the fire is lit. If you have a firescreen, close this while the fire is lit. Move flammable items from the vicinity of the fireplace – furniture, books, newspaper, Christmas trees (these become more dangerous when they start drying out) and reserved firewood. Avoid using wet wood which can cause smoke and soot to build up. Your chimney should have a functional cap, preventing animals or debris from entering it.

Preparing Your Home -Make sure smoke detectors are working. These should be on every level of your home, in all sleeping areas and prepped with working batteries. If you have multiple stories, purchase a fire escape ladder to make sure your family doesn’t get trapped in case of emergency. If you have a few stories, you may want to purchase a fire escape ladder for each one.

Remember this: plan ahead to make your home safe. Make sure everyone in the house knows where your fire extinguisher is and it is easily accessible. While having a fire escape ladder and extinguisher prepares you, in an ideal world you won’t have to use them. As an extra precaution, crack a window while your fireplace is lit.

And never, never leave the house while the fireplace is running.

Fire Safety Tips for Multistory Buildings

Fire safety is important for everyone to know, especially those who live or work in multistory buildings. Having a plan in place before a fire is imperative. Also, if you have a home or business with 2 to 6 floors, having fire escape ladders would help people safely get away from danger. Here are safety tips you need to know in case of fire in a multistory building.

Know the Plan

It is very important to know about the building where you work or live. Newer buildings are built with fire resistant materials, metal self-closing doors and sprinkler systems so a fire will not spread. This means you might be safer staying put so you need to know that. If you are in an older building, review the evacuation plan often. Listen to the public address system if the building has one.

Know All the Exits

Know the location of all the exits, not just the one closest to you. The path to the closest one may be blocked with debris or smoke. Also, know where all the staircases are located. Always use the stairs and never take the elevator in case of fire. Never open a fire door or one that is warm to the touch.

Stay Low

Smoke is very toxic and can injure or kill you. If there is any smoke present, you need to bend over and stay low to be under the smoke. You should practice this during fire drills so you remember.

What to Do if You Can't Leave

If there is too much smoke in the hall or stairs, you may have to stay in your apartment or office. Shut the doors between you and the fire. Seal the room by applying duct tape, newspapers, clothing or towels around the door and air vents. Open a window but do not break it. That way you can close it if there is smoke coming in from outside. Signal the firefighters with a light-colored cloth or flashlight.

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

3 Tips for Ensuring Your Family’s Safety in the Event of a Fire

House fires are a constant concern for safety-conscious homeowners. Fortunately, provided the proper precautions are taken, you can ensure that your family is able to escape unharmed in the event of a fire. Although house fires can be unpredictable, having a solid safety system in place can make the prospect of a large-scale fire seem considerably less frightening. In the interest of keeping your nearest and dearest out of harm’s way, put the following pointers into practice:

1. Regularly Check Your Fire Extinguishers

In addition to placing fire extinguishers in various spots throughout your home, you’ll need to check them on a monthly basis. The exact mechanics involved with performing these checks vary depending on the manufacturer and extinguisher type, so make sure to consult the owner’s manual and/or manufacturer’s website for additional details. For best results, your extinguishers should also be inspected and certified on an annual basis by a professional fire protection company. 

2. Invest in Emergency Escape Ladders

If a blaze traps you and your family on the upper floor of your home, a portable emergency escape ladder can provide you with a necessary way out. To ensure maximum protection, make sure each upper floor room has a ladder, so no matter where anyone is they have a safe way down. 

3. Test Your Smoke Alarms

A staggering number of homeowners neglect to test their smoke detectors on a consistent basis. While performing these checks may be tedious, doing so stands to save your life in the event of a fire. These quick tests help determine which alarms are working properly, which need new batteries and which need to be replaced. Luckily, smoke alarm tests can be carried out in a timely and efficient manner, ensuring that they don’t eat up a substantial portion of your leisure time.  

House fires move very quickly and have the power to cause a tremendous amount of damage in a relatively short span of time. That being the case, it’s imperative that you and your family commence evacuation measures at the first sign of a fire, prepare your emergency escape ladder and have a dependable alarm system in place. 

Are you looking for emergency escape ladders for your home? Check out ResQLadder.com today to learn more about our life-saving product.