Home Safety

FIRE SAFETY

During the winter, heating equipment is the number one cause of home fires. Keep all combustibles such as newspapers, magazines or kindling at least three feet away from fireplaces, heating vents, space heaters, baseboard heaters or radiators.

Keep space heaters or log stoves at least three feet away from furniture, curtains or anything else that could burn. Have the chimney inspected every year and cleaned if needed.

The area around the hot water heater and heating furnace should be kept clear of combustibles (and junk). Do not keep paint, solvents, gasoline or other flammables near these heat-producing appliances.

Never smoke in bed.

Make sure electrical cords are not frayed or worn. Do not run them under rugs or behind draperies. Always remember that those cheap lightweight extension cords should be used only for lighting!

Have a fire extinguisher on each level of your home, and the bigger the size, the better! A good choice of extinguisher is a "2-A:10-B:C". Keep one in your bedroom, one in the kitchen, and one near your furnace.

Smoke or fire alarms should be installed in all the bedrooms, the kitchen, and near the furnace, gas hot water heater, fireplace or log stove. If they are battery powered, remember to change the batteries at least twice per year whether they need it or not. A good rule of thumb to follow is to change the smoke alarm batteries when you set your clocks forward in the spring and again when you change the clocks back one hour in the fall.

In two-story homes, have an escape ladder and have everyone practice how to use it.

If you have children, have an emergency plan! Teach them what to do in the event of a fire. Develop and practice an escape plan, make sure all family members know what to do.

1. Draw a floor plan with at least two ways of
   escaping every room. Choose a safe meeting
   place outside the house.
   
2. Practice alerting other household members. It
   is a good idea to keep a flashlight in each
   bedroom for this purpose.
   
3. Practice evacuating your home blindfolded.
   In a real fire situation, the amount of smoke
   generated by a fire will most likely make it
   impossible to see.
   
4. Practice staying low to the ground when
   escaping. (There is more air at floor level
   during a fire).
   
5. Feel all doors before opening them. If the
   door is hot, get out another way.
   
6. Learn to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if
   clothes catch on fire.

Post emergency numbers on or near telephones. However, be aware that if a fire threatens your home, you should not place the call to the emergency service from inside your home, it is better to get out first and place the call from somewhere else.

NOTE: If you are buying fire extinguishers consider getting foam rather than the dry powder type. Both work equally well, the advantage is that the foam is a lot easier to clean up!

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