Fire Safety Tips
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
1ST DEGREE (REDDENED SKIN) - APPLY COOL WATER FOR 3 – 5 MINUTES (DON’T APPLY ICE)
2ND DEGREE (BLISTERED) - SAME AS 1ST DEGREE
3RD 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.