Fire Prevention Week is Oct 8-14, 2017

Did you know fire kills more Americans every year than all natural disasters combined? Fire spreads quickly so there is NO time to grab valuables or make a phone call.

That’s why this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme: “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” is so important. It reinforces why everyone needs to have an escape plan.

Some key FPW messages from the National Fire Protection Association include:

• Draw a map of your home by using NFPA’s grid in English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF) with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

Find more Home Fire Prevention and Safety Tips  … and learn more about FPW at www.firepreventionweek.org

Home Fire Prevention and Safety Tips (excerpt from our It’s A Disaster! book)

Did you know fire kills more Americans every year than all natural disasters combined? At least 80% of all fire deaths occur in residences — and careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. And cooking fires (leaving food unattended or human error) is the leading cause of home fires.

Fire spreads so quickly there is NO time to grab valuables or make a phone call. In just two minutes a fire can become life threatening! In five minutes a house can be engulfed in flames.

A fire’s heat and smoke are more dangerous than the actual flames since you can burn your lungs by inhaling the super-hot air. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you drowsy and disoriented (confused). Instead of being awakened by a fire, you could fall into a deeper sleep.

BEFORE A FIRE (FIRE SAFETY TIPS):

Install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors! – Test alarms 1-4 times a month, replace batteries once a year, and get new units every 10 years.

Make a plan – Create an Escape Plan that includes two escape routes from every room in the house and walk through the routes with your entire family. Also…

• Make sure your windows are not nailed or painted shut.
• Make sure security bars on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside…and teach everyone how to open them!
• Teach everyone how to stay LOW to floor (air is safer).
• Pick a spot to meet after escaping fire (meeting place).

Clean up – Keep storage areas clean – don’t stack up newspapers & trash.

Check power sources – Check electrical wiring and extension cords — don’t overload cords or outlets. Make sure there are no exposed wires anywhere and make sure wiring doesn’t touch home insulation.

Use caution – Never use gasoline or similar liquids indoors and never smoke around flammable liquids!

Check heat sources – Check furnaces, stoves, cracked or rusty furnace parts, and chimneys. Always be careful with space heaters and keep them at least 3 feet (1 m) away from flammable materials.

Know how to shut off power – Know where the circuit breaker box and gas valve is and how to turn them off, if necessary. (And always have a gas company rep turn on a main gas line.)

Install A-B-Cs and remember P-A-S-S – Install A-B-C fire extinguishers in the home since they work on all types of fires, and teach family members how to use them. Remember P-A-S-S = Pull the pin; Aim at the base of the fire; Squeeze the trigger; Sweep side to side.

Call local fire – Ask local fire department if they will inspect your home or business for fire safety and prevention.

Teach kids – Explain to children that matches and lighters are TOOLS, not toys… and if they see someone playing with fire they should tell an adult right away! And teach them how to report a fire and when to call 9-1-1.

Prevent common fires – Pay attention when cooking & don’t smoke in bed!

DURING A FIRE:

If only a small fire that’s not spreading too fast…

Try to put out…? – Use a fire extinguisher or water (unless it’s an electrical or grease fire) … and never try to put out a fire that’s getting out of control!

• electrical fire – never use water… use a fire extinguisher approved for electrical fires
• oil or grease fire in kitchen – smother fire with baking soda or salt (or, if burning in pan or skillet, carefully put a lid over it — but don’t try to carry pan outside!)

If fire is spreading…

GET OUT – DO NOT take time to try to grab anything except your family members! Once outside, do NOT try to go back in (even for pets) – let the firemen do it! Ask a neighbor to call fire department if not already called.

GET DOWN – Stay low to the ground under smoke by crawling on your hands and knees or squat down and walk like a duck… but keep moving to find a way out!

Closed door – Using the back of your hand (not your palm) always feel the top of the door, doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame before you open a closed door!

• if door is cool – leave quickly, close door behind you and crawl to an exit
• if door is hot – DO NOT open it … find another way out

No way out – If you can’t find a way out of the room you’re trapped in (door is hot and too high to jump) then hang a white or light-colored sheet, towel or shirt outside a window to alert firemen.

Use stairs – Never take the elevator during a fire … always use stairs!

If YOU are on fire – If your clothes ever catch fire, STOP what you’re doing, DROP to the ground, cover your face and ROLL until the fire goes out. Running only makes the fire burn faster!

Toxic gas – Plastics in household goods create deadly fumes when burned.

AFTER A FIRE:

Don’t go in there – Never enter a fire-damaged building until officials say it’s okay and watch for signs of smoke in case the fire isn’t totally out. Even if a fire’s out, hydrogen cyanide and other toxic fumes can remain.

Utilities – Have an electrician check your household wiring before you turn the power back on and DO NOT try to reconnect any utilities yourself!

Damage – Look for structural damage (roof, walls, floors, etc.) since they may be weak.

Call for help – Local disaster relief service (Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.) can help provide shelter, food, or personal items that were destroyed.

Insurance – Call your insurance agent or representative and…

• Keep receipts of all clean-up and repair costs (for both insurance and income taxes).
• Do not throw away any damaged goods until an official inventory has been taken by your insurance company.

If you rent – Contact your landlord since it is the owner’s responsibility to prevent further loss or damage to the site.

Move your stuff – Secure your personal belongings or move them to another location, if possible.

Above extracted from our IT’S A DISASTER! …and what are YOU gonna do about it? book ~ learn how to order our paperback and/or ebook for 70% to 80% off list

And learn more about fire safety and fire prevention visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s site www.usfa.fema.gov or contact your local fire department, emergency official, or your insurance agent / representative.

Fire Prevention Week October 5 – 11, 2014

The National Fire Prevention Agency’s Fire Prevention Week runs from October 5 – 11, 2014 and this year’s official theme is “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”

Did you know that many people don’t test their smoke alarms as often as they should? When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. You need working smoke alarms to give you time to get out so test your alarms every month.

For example, did you know…

• Almost three of five (60%) of reported home fire deaths in 2007 to 2011 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
• In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 93% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 79% of the time.
• When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected, or dead.
• An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, or where extra time is needed, to awaken or assist others, both types of alarms, or combination ionization and photoelectric alarms are recommended.

It is best to install both smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in your home, apartment and/or RV. And remember to test alarms at least once a month, replace batteries once a year, and get new units every 10 years.

And, if you haven’t already, take some time to make an Escape Plan that includes two escape routes from every room in the house. Draw a floor plan of your home showing doors, windows and stairways. Mark locations of first aid and disaster kits, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, ladders, and utility shut-off points. Next, use a colored pen to draw a broken line or arrow charting at least 2 escape routes from each room … and walk through the routes with your entire family.

Also…

• Make sure your windows are not nailed or painted shut.
• Make sure security bars on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside…and teach everyone how to open them!
• Teach everyone how to stay LOW to floor (air is safer).
• Pick a spot to meet after escaping fire (meeting place).
• Practice, practice, practice! Set aside time each month or several times a year and do fire drills with your family.

Fire Prevention Week is the perfect time to reach out and share resources that empower people to have a hand in preventing home fires and protecting their families.

Learn more at www.fpw.org and please share the link and this post with others. And for the little ones, visit Sparky the Fire Dog® site at www.sparky.org to find free apps, games, videos and more.

Stay safe, j & B

 

 

 

Holiday Fire Safety Tips about Christmas trees, lights, candles and more

In addition to following the below holiday fire safety tips from USFA and NFPA, please make sure all your exits are accessible and not blocked by decorations or trees, verify you have working smoke alarms, and learn what to do in case a fire starts in your home.

Christmas Trees

If your household includes a natural tree in its festivities, make sure you keep the tree watered.

Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually. Typically, shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. A dry and neglected tree can be.

Dry Tree vs. High Moisture Tree Fire – The following NFPA demonstration shows how flammable a dry Christmas tree can be as opposed to a tree watered regularly.

Selecting a Tree for the Holidays – Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long and, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Caring for Your Tree – Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Holiday Lights
Maintain Your Holiday Lights – Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets – Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch.

Do not leave holiday lights on unattended!

Holiday Decorations

Use Only Nonflammable Decorations – All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents. If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in the Fireplace – Wrapping paper in the fireplace can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers that may result in a chimney fire.

Candle Care

Never Leave a Burning Candle Unattended – Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.

If You Do Use Lit Candles – Make sure candles are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Keep candles at least 12 inches from anything that can burn. Avoid using candles in bedrooms and sleeping areas.

Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree – Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame – candles, lighters or matches.

Download some more safety tips from our IT’S A DISASTER! book and please share this data with others.

We hope all of you have a safe and very Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

And to our military, first responders and volunteers who work day in and day out to help keep us safe –- esp those of you separated from loved ones -– thank you for your continued service and sacrifices. Stay safe, B & j