Fire Safety- How can I prevent a fire at home?
- Install
smoke detectors on each floor of your home.
- Make sure that there is a smoke detector inside your bedroom or near your bedroom.
- Change batteries in smoke detectors at least once a year.
- Test the smoke detectors after changing the batteries.
- Do notborrow smoke alarm batteries for other purposes.
- Keep emergency phone numbers and important contact information by your phone or on your cell phone.
- Keep a fire extinguisher at home. Make sure you know how to use it.
Respond to every alarm as if it were a real fire. When you hear an alarm, take the following steps:
- Leave immediately and close doors behind you as you go.
- Do notuse elevators. Always use the stairs.
- If you see or smell smoke or fire, call the fire department after leaving the building. Tell the fire department your address and whether anyone is still inside the building.
- Do notgo back into a building after a fire alarm has gone off. Wait for firefighters.
What is a fire escape plan?
A fire escape plan is a floor plan that shows how to escape from a building if there is a fire. A fire escape plan provides information about:
- All possible exits from the building. Windows can serve as emergency exits.
- The shortest path to an exit from every room in the building.
- An arranged meeting place that is a safe distance away from the building.
Make sure that everyone in your household is aware of the fire escape plan. Practice your escape plan at least once. This includes getting out of the building through various exits and finding your arranged meeting place.
What are some important safety tips?
- Look for posted evacuation plans, exits, and fire extinguishers each time you enter a building.
- Make sure fire exits are always unlocked and uncluttered.
- Make sure you know what a smoke detector alarm sounds like.
- If you think there may be a fire, feel any closed doors with the back of your hand. Do not open the door if it is hot or if you see smoke under the door.
- If you see or smell smoke, stay low to the ground while you exit the building. The air is cleaner low to the ground because smoke rises.
