FIRE PREVENTION AND SURVIVAL 

FIRE BASICS 

*ALL FIRES REQUIRE HEAT, FUEL, AND OXYGEN

*FIRES CAN BE EXTINGUISHED BY REMOVING ANY ONE OF THESE  COMPONENTS 

HOW FIRE KILLS 

OXYGEN DEPRIVATION (FIRE CONSUMES OXYGEN) 

•  NORMAL - 21% OXYGEN
•  DIFFICULTY BREATHING - 17% OXYGEN
•  UNCONSCIOUS/DEATH - 10% OXYGEN 
  

POISONOUS SMOKE 

•  CARBON MONOXIDE - DISPLACES OXYGEN IN THE BLOOD
•  HYDROGEN CYANIDE - PRODUCED BY BURNING WOOL, SILK, NYLON, SOME PLASTICS
•  HYDROGEN CHLORIDE - IRRITATES THROAT/EYES
•  CARBON DIOXIDE - CAUSES FASTER BREATHING THUS INCREASING INTAKE OF POISONS
•  HEAT - CAN EXCEED 1100°F 
  

EARLY WARNING AND PROTECTION 

*MORE THAN HALF OF FATAL FIRES STRIKE WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASLEEP 

SMOKE ALARMS 

• IONIZING TYPE - PASS ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH SENSING CHAMBER, WHEN SMOKE ENTERS CHAMBER IT INTERRUPTS FLOW OF CURRENT AND ACTIVATES ALARM.
• PHOTOELECTRIC - THIS TYPE AIMS A LIGHT SOURCE INTO A SENSING CHAMBER.  SMOKE IN THE CHAMBER WILL REFLECT THE LIGHT ONTO A PHOTOCELL AND ACTIVATE ALARM.
• HEARING IMPAIRED - ALARMS ARE AVAILABLE WITH STROBE  LIGHTS.
• HEAT DETECTORS - USE IN KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS WHERE FUMES OR STEAM CAN TRIGGER  FALSE ALARMS. 
  

INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS 

• EVERY FLOOR OF HOME INCLUDING BASEMENT
• OUTSIDE EACH SLEEPING AREA OR IN SLEEPING AREAS UTILIZING INTERCONNECTED ALARMS WHEN DOORS ARE KEPT SHUT 
• WALL MOUNTED ALARMS - 4 TO 12 INCHES FROM CEILING 
• CEILING MOUNTED ALARMS - 4 INCHES FROM ANY WALL; NEAR HIGHEST POINT OF PITCHED   CEILINGS 
• BASEMENT ALARMS - CLOSE TO BOTTOM OF STAIRS 

MAINTENANCE OF SMOKE ALARMS 

• TEST AT LEAST MONTHLY 
  
• REPLACE BATTERIES ANNUALLY 
  
• KEEP FREE OF COBWEBS AND DUST 
  
• REPLACE OLD DETECTORS (10 YEARS) 
  

FIRE DRILLS/ESCAPING 

DRAW FLOOR PLAN AND INDICATE AT LEAST TWO WAYS OUT OF EACH ROOM 

HAVE A MEETING PLACE OUTSIDE 

GET OUT AND STAY OUT 

TEACH CHILDREN WHAT TO DO – PRACTICE 
 

SURVIVAL TIPS 

CLOSE DOORS  

• EVEN A HOLLOW DOOR CAN PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FIRE/SMOKE 
  
• IN A FIRE, TEST DOORS WITH BACK OF BARE HAND BEFORE OPENING  
  

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE TRAPPED 

• IF POSSIBLE, OPEN WINDOW ONLY FEW INCHES AT TOP AND BOTTOM. FRESH AIR SHOULD ENTER AT BOTTOM.  
• STUFF CLOTHES OR TOWELS IN CRACKS UNDER DOOR 
• STAY AT WINDOW AND WAVE FLASHLIGHT OR WAVE A TOWEL/SHEET TO HELP FIREFIGHTERS FIND YOU 

GET LOW AND GO 

STOP, DROP, AND ROLL IF CLOTHES CATCH FIRE 

FIRST AIDE FOR BURNS 

• 1^ST DEGREE (REDDENED SKIN) - APPLY COOL WATER FOR 3 – 5 MINUTES (DON’T APPLY ICE)
• 2^ND DEGREE (BLISTERED)  - SAME AS 1^ST DEGREE
• 3^RD DEGREE (CHARRED TISSUE) - APPLY WET STERILE DRESSINGS, REMOVE CLOTHING NOT STUCK TO SKIN, LAY ON BACK, ELEVATE BURNED AREAS 

LEARN NOT TO BURN 

COOKING SAFETY 

• NEVER LEAVE COOKING UNATTENDED 
  
• KEEP STOVE CLEAN 
  
• NEVER WEAR LOOSE, DANGLING CLOTHING WHILE COOKING 
  
• TURN POT HANDLES INWARD 
  
• MAINTAIN A KID FREE ZONE OF THREE FEET AROUND STOVE 
  
• REMOVE LIDS FROM MICROWAVED FOOD 
  
• LEARN HOW TO REACT TO SMALL FOOD FIRES

• COVER PAN GREASE FIRES WITH LID
• NEVER POUR WATER ON A GREASE FIRE OR CARRY PAN OUTSIDE
• DISCHARGING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER COULD ALSO SPLATTER CONTENTS AND SPREAD FIRE

•  IF FIRE STARTS IN THE OVEN, CLOSE THE DOOR TO DEPRIVE IT OF OXYGEN 
  

HEATING APPLIANCES 

• KEEP PORTABLE HEATERS AT LEAST THREE FEET FROM WALL 
  
• NEVER STORE LP GAS TANKS INSIDE HOME 
  
• KEEP WOOD BURNING STOVES CLEAN 
  
• NEVER BURN TRASH IN WOOD BURNING STOVE 
  

CHILDREN AND FIRE 

• STORE MATCHES AND LIGHTERS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN
  
• TEACH CHILDREN FIRE SAFETY 
  

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS 

• DO NOT OVERLOAD OUTLETS OR USE APPLIANCES WITH FRAYED WIRES 
  
• USE GFIs IN BATHROOMS, GARAGES, KITCHENS, AND OUTDOORS 
  
• PLUG ONLY ONE APPLIANCE INTO AN EXTENSION CORD 
  

CANDLES 

• NEVER LEAVE BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED 
  
• KEEP THEM AWAY FROM BEDDING, CURTAINS, AND WALLS. 
  
• USE FLASHLIGHTS INSTEAD OF CANDLES IN POWER OUTAGES 
  

FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS

• STORE OILY RAGS IN A TIGHTLY SEALED CONTAINER OR HANG THEM TO DRY OUTSIDE 
• NEVER STORE GASOLINE INDOORS OR IN AN UNAPPROVED CONTAINER 
• NEVER FILL GASOLINE CONTAINERS WHILE THEY ARE IN THE VEHICLE OR IN THE BED OF A TRUCK
  

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS 

APPROPRIATE FOR FIGHTING SMALL FIRES IN THEIR EARLY STAGES 

• KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT BEFORE AN EMERGENCY 
  
• EXTINGUISHER MUST BE RATED FOR FIRE YOU ARE FIGHTING 
  

WHEN TO FIGHT A SMALL FIRE 

• EVERYONE HAS LEFT THE BUILDING OR IS LEAVING THE BUILDING 
  
• THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CALLED OR IS BEING CALLED 
  
• FIRE IS CONFINED 
  
• YOUR BACK IS TO AN ACCESSIBLE EXIT 
  
• LITTLE SMOKE PRESENT 
  

*IF UNABLE TO FIGHT IT, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY AND CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND YOU 

THE FOUR CLASSES OF FIRES AND EXTINGUISHER LABELS 

CLASS A - ORDINARY COMBUSTIBLES SUCH AS WOOD, CLOTH, OR PAPER
CLASS B - FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS SUCH AS GASOLINE, OIL, OR OIL BASED PAINT
CLASS C - ENERGIZED ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS WIRING, FUSE BOXES, AND APPLIANCES
CLASS K - FIRES IN COMMERCIAL COOKING APPLIANCES 

FIRE EXTINGUISHER SIZE 

CLASS A OR B EXTINGUISHERS ARE LABELED WITH A NUMBER INDICATING ITS EFFECTIVENESS; THE LARGER THE NUMBER, THE MORE IT CAN PUT OUT (EX. 1-A, 2-A, 5-B, 10-B, ETC.)  

INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF EXTINGUISHERS 

•  SHOULD BE MOUNTED IN PLAIN SIGHT NEAR AN EXIT 
• MOST IMPORTANT PLACE TO HAVE AN EXTINGUISHER IS THE KITCHEN, GARAGE, WORKSHOP, OR ROOM WITH A FIREPLACE. 
• DISPOSABLE EXTINGUISHERS CAN BE USED ONLY ONCE. 
• CHECK GAUGE OR PRESSURE TESTING MECHANISM (READ INSTRUCTIONS) 

USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER 

PASS 

 P - PULL THE PIN

 A - AIM LOW

 S - SQUEEZE THE LEVER

 S - SWEEP FROM SIDE TO SIDE 

*IF SMOKE OBSTRUCTS YOUR VISION OR THREATENS TO ENGULF YOUR

ESCAPE ROUTE, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIGHT THE FIRE. LEAVE THE  BUILDING.