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10 Tips for Fire Safety
- Space Heaters: Two-thirds of home heating fire deaths are caused by portable or fixed space heaters. Many of these tragedies could be avoided if people followed simple safety rules such as keeping portable and other space heaters away from flammable objects and turning heaters off when they go out or go to bed.
- Plan Your Escape: If there is a fire, people need to be prepared so they can get out fast and avoid panic. That means drawing up a plan of how to exit their home and deciding on a meeting place outside. Contact the St. Joseph Fire Department for more information.
- Stop, Drop & Roll: Once fire strikes, flames can spread fast to anything that is flammable including clothing. If clothes do catch fire, immediate action is required to avoid injury or death. While a person's first reaction might be to panic or run, the right response is to drop to the ground and roll over and over to smother the flames.
- Electrical Safety: Most electrical fires don't happen suddenly. There are usually warning signs. By watching out for problems and fixing them, the majority of electrical fires can be stopped before they get started. Also, people should remember that electrical appliances generate heat and should be kept away from flammable materials.
- Cooking Safety: Statistics show that cooking fires rank first in home fires and home fire injuries. Be kitchen wise. Never leave cooking unattended and use oven mitts to handle hot pots and pans.
- Automatic Sprinklers: When sprinklers protect a building, the chances of dying in a fire and the average property loss per fire are both cut by one-half to two-thirds. They can contain flames, reduce smoke and toxic gasses, and even extinguish a home fire in less time than it takes the fire department to arrive.
- Install Smoke Alarms: Smoke alarms save lives by warning people about a fire while there's still time to escape. They're so effective that the death rate in home fires with at least one smoke alarm is 45% lower than without smoke alarms. Proper placement and installation as well as regular testing and maintenance are essential to provide full protection.
- Crawl Low Under Smoke: A fire's flames may seem more threatening, but the toxic gasses contained in smoke are often more deadly and should be avoided whenever possible. If people must exit through smoke, they should crawl on their hands and knees because heat rises and the cleaner air will be near the floor.
- Smoker's Safety: It should be obvious that when people smoke, they are handling a burning object and need to exercise extreme caution. But the fact is that smoking materials continue to be the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. Encourage smokers to be more careful when disposing of butts and ashes, and remind them to never smoke in bed or when drowsy.
- Matches and Lighters: From 1992 to 1996, matches and lighters accounted for 80% of all child-playing home fires, 83% of corresponding deaths and injuries, and 82% of direct property damage. The solution is to keep matches and lighters where children can't get to them.
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