Fire Prevention Tips & Info
4%
of homes in the U.S. have no smoke alarms installed
20% of
homes have smoke alarms installed, but they do not work
15% of fires responded to had
“non-working” smoke alarms due to dead batteries
50% of fires responded to had
“non-working” smoke alarms with disconnected or missing batteries
40% of home fires reported by
U.S. fire departments involved homes where no smoke alarm was installed
70% of home fires with fatalities
had no working smoke alarm present
Information
from the 2004 National Fire Protection Association Report.
The
Newman Lake Volunteer Fire Department has smoke detectors available at no charge
for families in the Newman Lake Community in need of one. Please contact us at
226-1482 or via email at nlvfd@comcast.net.
A warm, cozy fire or warmth from a space heater can quickly spell danger
during the cold winter months. Each year, nearly 600 children ages 14 and under
die in residential fires and another 40,000 children are injured.
It is extremely important that families take the proper precautions to
ensure all home heating equipment is in working order and that all household
members know how to escape in case of a fire.
ELIMINATE
HAZARDS:
·
Remove anything too close to a
fireplace, heater or radiator, such as clothing, furniture, newspapers or
magazines.
·
Secure all portable heaters.
·
Avoid plugging several appliance
cords into the same electrical socket.
·
Replace old or frayed electrical
wires and appliance cords, and keep them on top of rugs.
·
Keep matches, lighters and other
heat sources out of children’s reach. Playing with matches and lighters is
the leading cause of fire deaths for children ages 5 and under.
·
Store all flammable liquids such as
gasoline outside of the home.
·
Keep furniture and other heavy
objects out of the way of doors and windows.
PLAN
AHEAD:
·
Buy and install smoke alarms. Install
smoke alarms on every level of your home and in every sleeping area.
·
Consider installing both ionization
alarms (better at sensing flaming fires) and photoelectric alarms (better at
sensing slow, smoky fires).
·
Test and maintain smoke alarms
regularly. Test alarms monthly, replace batteries yearly, replace smoke
alarms every 10 years.
·
Plan and practice two escape routes
out of the house and each room.
·
Designate an outside meeting place.
TEACH
CHILDREN:
·
The sound of a smoke alarm.
·
To crawl low under smoke.
·
To cover their mouths and noses. A
moist towel is best, but anything within reach can protect lungs.
·
To touch doors before opening them.
A warm door usually means fire on the other side..
·
To never go back into a burning
building.
·
To “stop, drop, and roll”.
