FIRE SAFTEY & PREVENTION

At the bottom of the page, you will find downloadable resources.

ESCAPE PLANNING

Practice

  1. •Call a family meeting and discuss the best ways to exit your home in case of emergency.
  2. •Draw up a floor plan of your home that shows every room, door, and window. Clearly mark the escape route. Post the plan on the refrigerator.
  3. •Pick a meeting place outside your home and tell all members of the family to go there in case of a fire.

Plan

  1. •Most fires happen at night when everyone is asleep and the house is unmonitored. To practice properly, send everyone to bed, then sound the smoke alarm.
  2. •Close off some exits and pretend they are blocked by
  3. •Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
  4. •Test your smoke alarm each month and replace batteries once a year.

CARBON MONOXIDE

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless invisible killer. It settles low to the ground and can move throughout your home with airflow.

Carbon monoxide is very dangerous and cannot be detected without an alarm. To detect carbon monoxide in your home, install an alarm near every bedroom in your home and near your main living space.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are:

  1. •headache
  2. •nausea
  3. •dizziness
  4. •confusion
  5. •fainting

If you suspect CO Exposure, get out of the house and breathe in fresh air, call the fire department from a neighbor’s house, and, if you have symptoms, seek medical help immediately.

SMOKE ALARMS

  1. Battery alarms can be installed by anyone, but alarms that run on household currents must be installed by a qualified electrician.

  2. •Labels are important. Make sure your smoke alarm is manufactured by a recognized testing laboratory.

  3. •Recordable voice announcement alarms are great for children. A familiar voice, such as that of a parent or guardian, prompting them to exit is less abrupt than a beeping alarm sound.

  4. •A smoke alarm that detects carbon monoxide adds greater safety and eliminates having to purchase a separate carbon monoxide alarm.

Where to Install a Smoke Alarm

  1. •Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside a sleeping area, and on every level of our home (including the basement).

  2. •Interconnect all your smoke alarms throughout your home, so when one sounds, they all sound.

  3. •Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

  4. •Test your smoke alarm each month and replace batteries once a year.

SAFE GRILLING

  1. Only use propane or charcoal grills outdoors.

  2. •Position the grill away from the home, deck railings, and overhanging branches.

  3. •Keep children and pets away from the grill area.

  4. •Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.

  5. •Never leave your grill unattended.

  6. •If you smell gas, get away from the grill and call the fire department. Do not move the grill.

PROPANE TANK SAFETY

  1. •Propane tanks are not permitted inside homes or on balconies above the first floor of any building where people live (527 CMR 6:07).

  2. •LP Gas is heavier than air and sinks. If there is a leak, it can be easily ignited by the fumes of a car or cigarette.

  3. •Propane tanks must be kept upright, at least five feet away from ignition sources, such as doors, windows, dryer vents, or appliance compressors.

  4. •Gas Grills should be kept ten feet away from the house.

FIRE EXTENGUISHERS

10 Rules to Remember About Using a Fire Extinguisher

1. Most fires start small. If the fire is contained to a single object, such as a trash can, you may want to try using a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Remember, you only have seconds! A fire burning for just 1 minute will have tripled its original size.

2. You should only consider using a fire extinguisher if all members of your home have been alerted to the fire and the fire department has been called. Also, make sure you are safe from smoke and that the fire is not between you and your only escape route.

3. When purchasing a fire extinguisher, look for one that is tested by an independent testing laboratory. Also, look for one labeled A-B-C as it can be used on most fires that would occur in your home. You want to be sure that the type of fire extinguisher you would be using would be effective at putting the fire out.

4. Make sure you are physically able to handle a fire extinguisher. Some models are heavy and may be hard to operate and hold at the same time.

5. Know how to operate the extinguisher quickly. You will not have time to read instructions during an emergency.

6. Keep your fire extinguisher in an easily accessible area. Make sure it is not blocked by anything that would keep you from grabbing it quickly in an emergency.

7. Remember the word P.A.S.S - Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. Pull the pin. Some extinguishers require unlocking a latch, pressing a puncture lever, or other such motion. Aim low, pointing the extinguisher nozzle (or its horn or hose) at the base of the fire. Squeeze the handle. This releases the extinguishing agent. Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire until it appears to be out. Watch the fire area in case the fire breaks out again, and repeat use of the extinguisher if necessary.

8. If your means of escape becomes compromised at any time while using an extinguisher, get out of the house as fast as possible and wait for the fire department.

9. If you have any doubt about whether or not to fight a fire with an extinguisher, DON'T! Get out and stay out.

10. Ask your fire department to train you on how and when to use a fire extinguisher. COOKING SAFETY TIPS

Put a lid on a grease fire to smother it, then turn of the heat. Baking Soda will also work.

Never move a burning pan.

Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire. Water will only spread the fire and the force of the extinguisher can splash flaming grease out of the pan.

Stand by your pan. Don't leave food, grease, or oils cooking on the stovetop unattended.

Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when cooking. Loose fitting clothing can easily catch on fire.

Keep pot handles turned inward to prevent accidental spills.

Create a three-foot "child-rfree zone" around the stove. Keep children and pets away from the stove while cooking.

DID YOU KNOW

91% of all civilian fatalities in residential building fires involve thermal burns and smoke inhalation.

Bedrooms are the leading location (55%) where civilian fire fatalities occur in residential buildings.

51% of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings occur between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. This period also accounts for 49% of fatal fires.

70% of fire victims in residential buildings were escaping (36%) or sleeping (34%) at the time of their deaths.

Smoking was the leading cause of fatal residential building fires.

Males accounted for 57% of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings; women accounted for 43% of the fatalities.

43% of civilian fatatilies in residential building fires are between the ages of 40 and 69; 13% are less than 10 years old.

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