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DON'T DELAY, FIRE WON'T WAIT!
If a fire does break out, you need
early warning from smoke detectors, and you need to know
how to get out without delay. Practicing drills will help
your family get out quickly and safely when there is no
time for mistakes.
To be among the survivors, make
sure that you have smoke detectors in your home to give
you the earliest possible warning of a fire. Next, plan
precisely how you and your family will escape if fire does
occur. Finally practice your plan by holding fire drills
at least every six months.
Also consider home automatic
sprinklers for complete fire safety protection.
Make An
Escape Plan
When a fire occurs, there's no
time for planning. So sit down with your family today, and
make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire.
- Know Two Ways Out - Draw a
diagram of your home, showing every door and window.
Plan two ways out of every room, especially the
bedrooms. Then walk through each escape route, checking
for barriers or obstructions. Make sure everyone can
unlock all locks and open all windows and doors quickly,
even in the dark.
- In an apartment, use the
stairways to leave the building. Never use the elevator
during a fire; it may stop between floors or even take
you to the floor where the fire is burning.
- In a two story house, if you
must escape from a second story window, be sure you have
a safe way to reach the ground. Make special
arrangements for small children and people with
disabilities.
- Get Out Fast! In case of a
fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to take
possessions or pets. Just get out. Call the fire
department from a neighbor's phone after you get out.
- Don't go back, no matter what.
Make sure everyone in your family knows that once they
are out, they must not go back for any reason. If people
are trapped, fire fighters have the best chance of
rescuing them.
- Call the fire department after
you escape. Everyone should gather at one meeting place
outside, preferably at the front, where the fire
department will arrive. Each family member should know
how to call the fire department from a neighbor's home.
Practice
Your Plan
At least twice a year, have a fire
drill in your home. Appoint someone as the monitor, to
sound the alarm and make sure everyone participates.
The majority of fatal fires occur
when people are sleeping. So start the drill, go to your
bedroom, close the door, and wait for the monitor to sound
the alarm.
Make your exit drill as realistic
as possible. Practice both escape routes. Pretend that
certain exits are blocked by fire, that there are no
lights, and that the hallways are filling with smoke.
Remember, a fire drill is not a
race. Get out quickly, but carefully!
Be Ready For
Hazards On Your Way Out!
Test every door. Before opening a
door, make sure there's no fire on the other side.
Kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up high and use
the back of your hand to touch the door, the door knob,
and the space between the door and the frame. If any of
these feels hot, use your second way out.
If everything feels cool, brace
your shoulder against the door, and open it carefully. Be
ready to slam it shut if heat or smoke rushes in.
As you leave, close all doors
behind you. They can slow down the spread of fire and
smoke.
Smoke contains deadly gases and is
hot, so it will fill the room from the top down. If you
encounter smoke using your primary exit, use your
alternate route instead, If you must exit through smoke,
the best air will be several inches off the floor. Get
down on your hands and knees, and crawl quickly to the
exit.
IF YOU ARE TRAPPED, close doors
between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around doors
and cover vents to keep smoke out. Wait at a window, and
signal for help with a flashlight, if you have one, or by
waving a sheet or other light-colored cloth. If there's a
phone in the room where you're trapped, call the fire
department and tell them exactly where you are.
Remember, in
a desperate night fire emergency, your family will NOT
get a second chance. Everyone must act quickly, correctly,
and
AUTOMATICALLY. They will if you give them that chance.
It's YOUR duty and responsibility.
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