Fire Safety Tips

Install Smoke Detectors
Working smoke detectors can alert one to a home fire allowing time for escape, especially helpful if you are asleep. Install a smoke detector on every level of your home, including the basement, and outside each sleeping area. If one sleeps with the door closed, you should install a detector inside your sleeping area as well.

Test your detectors every month, following the manufacturer's directions, and replace batteries twice a year (when you adjust your clocks to reflect time changes). You should also change batteries if they start to "chirp". This chirping is a signal that the battery is low. Always use new batteries in your smoke detectors. Replace detectors that are more than 10 years old.

Plan Your Escape From Fire
If a fire breaks out in your home, you have to get out, and fast! Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your family and discussing your fire escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least two unobstructed exits - doors and windows - from every room. (If you live in an apartment building, do not include elevators in your escape plan.) Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone meets after escape. Have your entire household practice your escape plan at least twice a year.

Crawl Low Under Smoke
During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with the heat. If you find yourself in a home full of smoke, breathe the air at floor level-crawl! it is of the "best of the worst" quality to inhale until you can escape outdoors. If at all possible, avoid areas of the home with smoke by utilizing an alternate escape plan.

Stop, Drop And Roll
If you are unfortunate enough to have your clothes catch fire, DO NOT RUN. Take action...STOP, ...DROP & ...ROLL! Stop where you are, Drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and Roll over and over until the flames are smothered.

Smokers Beware!
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America. People who smoke in bed or when drowsy are the worst offenders. Provide smokers with large, deep non-tip ashtrays and soak butts with water before discarding them.

Exercise Caution When Cooking
Never leave items you are cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles and wear clothes with short, rolled-up or tight fitting sleeves when you cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where children cannot grab them. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" three feet (one meter) around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave the lid on until cool. Always keep an A-B-C portable fire extinguisher in the vicinity that is easily accessible.

Use Space Heaters With Caution!
Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter) from anything combustible. Keep children and pets away from heaters, and never leave heaters on when you leave home.

Caution With Electrical Appliances
If an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it immediately, have it serviced before reuse. Replace any electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Do not overload extension cords or run them under rugs. Do not tamper with your fuse box or use improper-size fuses.

Cold For Burns
Run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never put butter or any grease on a burn. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a doctor immediately. Never use ice.