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Fire safety strategies and prevention at home
March 2003
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It is important to have an escape plan in case of fire. Families who create and practice a fire escape plan, have much more chances to avoid a tragedy if a fire happens at their house. Everybody in the family should know what to do when a smoke alarm starts |
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Fires and burns are among the leading causes of unintentional injury and death at home. It is therefore important to take a certain number of precautions in order to minimize the risk of a deadly and destructive fire at home |
Fires and burns are among the leading causes of unintentional injury and death at home. It is therefore important to take a certain number of precautions in order to minimize the risk of a deadly and destructive fire at home. By doing this you offer your family, your home and your possessions greater protection from the menace of fire. Additionally you should bare in mind that the very young and the very old, are particularly at high risk in the case of home fire.
| The use of smoke detectors can offer great services. However one smoke detector at home is not enough. Smoke detectors should be installed at every level. They are necessary especially outside of sleeping rooms. |
Smoke detectors should be checked regularly. Experience shows that many don't work because of batteries problems. A good practice is to change batteries every six months.
Smoke detectors should be tested according to the guidelines of the manufacturer. It is important that all members of the family, including the children, should know how to test the smoke detectors. Most importantly everybody should be familiarized with the sounds of the alarm. Most smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years.
Automatic fire sprinklers offer additional security. Homes protected by smoke alarms and fire sprinklers offer significantly more safety. The chances for a family for surviving a home fire rises to 40 till 50 percent in case of smoke detectors use alone, in comparison with cases where no smoke detectors are used. In the case of the presence of both systems, the chance for a family for surviving a home fire rises sharply to 82%, compared with the absence of both systems.
Fire sprinklers have been widely used in buildings. In-home fire sprinklers are nowadays available. According to experts a fire sprinkler system is the single most important piece of safety equipment you can put in your home today.
Statistics show that 90% of fires are contained or extinguished by just one sprinkler. Sprinkler systems are activated by the heat. Each sprinkler can operate independently. Activation time of a fire sprinkler, no matter how intense the fire is, should be less than one minute
Accidental discharge of water from fire sprinklers is very rare. In case of fire, the water damage because of water sprinklers, is much less than the water damage caused by the firefighters who use much more water to extinguish a fire.
| Fire extinguishers are as well a useful piece of
life -saving equipment to have at home.
An all-purpose fire extinguisher (rated for grease fires and electrical fires) in the kitchen, near the furnace or anywhere a fire may start. Fire extinguishers are not expensive, can save lives and everybody in the house should be trained to use them. |
Smoking in the house is not only bad for your health but can as well be dangerous because it can initiate a fire. Smoking in bed is a potential hazard: You should never smoke in your bed. You have to make sure that cigarettes and cigars are completely extinguished before dumping ashes.
Matches, lighters and candles should be kept away from children. Fire-retardant sleepwear for children can decrease the severity of burns and are recommended for the children when they go to sleep.
Materials from fireplaces should be disposed of in non-flammable containers. Chimney fires are common, especially in cases that that chimneys are not inspected and cleaned at least annually. Flammable materials should be kept away from heat sources.
The electrical system of the house can be a source of fire if over-loaded. The system should not be overloaded and additionally a thorough surveillance of the wires should find out worn wiring which should be immediately discarded. Appliances should be kept unplugged when not in use.
| It is important to have an escape
plan in case of fire. Families who create and practice a fire escape plan, have much more chances to avoid a tragedy if a fire happens at their house. Everybody in the family should know what to do when a smoke alarm starts. |
Experts stress out the fact that in case of home fire, there are only few minutes available for escaping. If you consider that the members of the family may have to wake up in the middle of the night because of a quickly advancing fire, the importance for everybody knowing what to do and without panic is capital. It is in such cases that the presence of one working smoke alarm on every level of the house can save lives.
Each member of the family should have at least two specific escape roots including two exits, doors or windows. An emergency number to call the fire department and for help, should be readily available and even better memorized, by members of the family. A meeting place, at a given point outside the house, should be specified so that all members of the family should gather and make sure that everybody is safe.
Rehearsing the escape plan every six months secures that everybody knows well what to do and that safety measures in the house are sufficient and functional.
| An important information that
children and adults alike should know is that smoke and heat rise, so
during a fire there is a cleaner, cooler air near the floor.
If somebody, in order to escape from a fire should go through smoke, must bare in mind that a more safe zone is near the floor. Therefore crawling on the hands or knees with the head 1 to 2 feet above the floor, could be of help. |
The landscape outside the house can be of importance for protecting or propagating a wild fire to your home. Houses near forests, grasslands and foothills are particularly vulnerable. Families living under these circumstances, should be sure to take all necessary safety precautions.
The fire-wise landscape can minimize the risk of fire propagation to your house. A safety zone of at least 30 foot around the house is necessary. Dry grass, dead leaves, brush should be removed. In this way fire has no combustible to advance. In cases that the house is located on a slope, it is better to clear out a 100 feet safety zone.
Planting fire resistant plants can offer additional protection. In areas which are prone to wild fires, experts can advise about fire-resistant plants which fit better to the local environment and climate. A big green lawn and good irrigation of the surrounding plants are a good protection against fire propagation.
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