October is National Fire Safety Month
The recent forest fires on the west coast of the US has many people thinking about fire safety. But you don't need a forest fire to start a home fire. October is National Fire Safety Month, and now is a great time to review your plans to keep your family and home safe from fire. In fact, you should regularly review your fire safety plans. Nobody wants to dwell on what can happen in a house fire. But planning for that possibility can save lives.
Here are a few things to plan for and consider:
Smoke Alarms
- Install smoke alarms outside every bedroom or any area where someone sleeps. Also install them in furnace areas. Be sure there is at least 1 alarm on every level of your home, including the basement, or at each end of a mobile home.
- Place smoke alarms away from the kitchen and bathroom. False alarms can occur while cooking or even showering.
- Test smoke alarms every month by pushing the test button. It is best to use smoke alarms that have long-life batteries, but if you do not, change the batteries at least once a year, such as when you change your clocks in the fall.
- Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
- Never paint a smoke alarm.
- Clean (dust or vacuum) smoke alarms once a month.
- Use smoke alarms equipped with a flashing light and an alarm in homes with children or adults who are hard of hearing or deaf .
Fire Drills
Even young children (3 and older) can begin to learn what to do in case of a fire.
- Install at least 1 smoke alarm on every level of your home.
- Have an escape plan and practice it with your family. This will help you and your family reach safety when it counts. When a fire occurs, there will be no time for planning an escape.
- Draw a floor plan of your home. Discuss with your family 2 ways to exit every room. Make sure everyone knows how to get out and that doors and windows can be easily opened to permit escape. If you live in an apartment building, never use an elevator during a fire. Use the stairs!
- Agree on a meeting place. Choose a spot outside your home near a tree, street corner, or fence where everyone can meet after escaping. Teach your children that the sound of a smoke alarm means to go outside right away to the chosen place.
- Know how to call the fire department. The fire department should be called from outside using a portable phone or from a neighbor's home. Whether the number is 911 or a regular phone number, everyone in the family should know it by heart. Make sure your children know your home address, too. Teach your children that firefighters are friends and never to hide from them.
- Practice, practice, practice. Practice your exit drill at least twice a year. Remember that fire drills are not a race. Get out quickly, but calmly and carefully. Try practicing realistic situations. Pretend that some exits or doorways are blocked or that the lights are out. The more prepared your family is, the better your chances of surviving a fire.
Of course there's nothing anyone can do to prevent a fire from occurring 100%. But with some planning and preparation, you can escape a house fire alive and safely.
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