Conduct a family fire drill.
When it comes to fire - be smart. If the fire is too big for you to handle, immediately get out of the house. Don't stop to gather anything or to do anything. Once you are outside, stay outside. Intense heat and toxic fumes can kill you in seconds.
- Choose a reunion place outside your home. If fire breaks out in your home and family members leave through different doors and windows, it is important to have an identified meeting place. That way no one will be tempted to go back into the house to look for someone who may well be out already.
This place might be at the corner by a mailbox, across the street at a neighbor's tree, etc. It should be far enough from the house to be safe and also leave space for fire equipment to park.
It is most important that each and every member of the family knows just where it is and that they all should go there immediately after leaving the house.
- Draw a floor plan of your home, and discuss two ways to exit each room.
These two steps are one-time steps. Remind your family of the reunion place and room exits each year around the time you do your fire drill.
- Conduct the fire drill. You might hold down a smoke alarm button to trigger a fire drill or simply shout “Fire Drill”. Every family member should exit the home. To add variety, blindfold your family or have them crawl out as if the house is filled with smoke.
Fire Safety Tips
- Never use frayed or cracked electrical cords.
- Never run electrical cords under rugs, over nails or in high traffic areas.
- Never smoke in bed.
- Clean chimneys once a year.
- Never use gasoline for cleaning purposes or to start a fire.
- Always store flammable liquids in closed metal containers away from heat, sparks and small children.
- Keep combustibles like old newspapers, clothes, wood furniture etc. from accumulating in closets, the garage, attic and yard.
- Are all matches and lighters out of reach of small children?
- Keep panhandles turned in from the edge of the stove.
- Never use towels as potholders.
Fire extinguishers
- Place your fire extinguishers with care. Ready access to them is critical. Fire moves quickly - quick access to your extinguishers can be the difference between putting a small fire out or suffering much damage.
- Several smaller extinguishers located throughout the house are better
than one large one that may be difficult to get to quickly. Key places are:
- The kitchen
- The garage
- One on every level if your home has multiple floors
- A:B:C extinguishers are recommended;
- “A” fires - ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, etc.
- “B” fires - flammable liquids such as gasoline, paints, kitchen grease, etc.
- “C” fires - electrical equipment, such as fires in wiring, appliances, etc.