In the interests of public safety and fire safety it’s important to follow a few precautionary measures. Fire kills, but it can usually be prevented from happening in the first place.
A large part of the work of the fire department is to educate the population on the dangers of fire and simple fire prevention techniques. Fire kills thousands of Americans every year, and the saddest part of all, most of the deaths could have been prevented. 80% of these fires are in the home, so in the interests of public safety and fire safety, let’s take a quick look at how to fire proof your home and stop you from becoming another statistic.
Fire Drills
Do you remember those fire drills at school? I do, not with any affectionate I might add. The teachers always pretended that it was ‘random’ and that they ‘didn’t know’, but some sadistic so-and-so always hit the bell when it was freezing cold “no, you’re not allowed to get your coat, just go outside quickly, and don’t run”, then they’d make you stand freezing to death for the next 15 minutes, (it’s just occurred to me that the teachers were somehow permitted to take their coats) until some twerp who had been ignoring his name on the register finally owned up, and everybody was satisfied that no-one was burning to death in the toilets and were allowed to go back inside.
Have you ever practiced a fire drill at home? I bet you haven’t, but it’s a good idea for your children to know all of the escape routes in the home, and that they are kept clear, and to just practice leaving the house safely if there is an imaginary fire in some part of the house.
Smoke Alarms and Fire Extinguishers
Have you checked your smoke alarm lately? My family would argue that I check mine regularly, as a signal to let them know that dinner was ready five minutes ago (oooops) but seriously, smoke alarms save lives, use them, check them and don’t ignore them!
If your smoke alarm goes off (and remember, there’s no smoke without fire!) in the middle of the night, don’t waste time looking for valuables, the only thing you should take with you is your family! Roll out of bed, and keep low to the ground, just one breath can kill you. It’s often the smoke that kills you long before the fire has the chance! Follow your pre-planned escape routes, and feel the back of every door before opening it, if it feels warm, do not open the door, but go through a window or another door. Always close the doors behind you, and that way the fire will be more contained until the fire department gets there.
If you follow these public safety and fire safety tips, hopefully you and your family will be better equipped to prevent or escape from a fire.
