SMOKE DETECTORS
Working smoke detectors can alert you to a fire in your home in time for you and your family to escape, even if you are sleeping. Install smoke detectors on every level of your home including the basement, attic and outside each sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, install a detector inside your sleeping area.
Test detectors every month, following the manufacturer's directions, and replace batteries when you adjust your clocks or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal low battery power. Never "borrow" a smoke detector's battery for another use - a disabled detector will not work and can not save your life. Replace detectors that are more than seven to ten years old.
For increased protection, consider installing a fire alarm monitoring system and automatic fire sprinklers.
SMOKING
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America. Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be fatal. Provide smokers with large, deep, non-tipping ashtrays and soak butts with water before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home after someone has been smoking, check under and around cushions and upholstered furniture for smoldering cigarettes.
In a child's hands, matches and lighters can be deadly! Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high where kids can't see or reach them, preferably in a locked cabinet or drawer. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys and should be used by adults only or with adult supervision. Teach young children not to touch them and to tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters; Older children should bring matches and lighters to an adult immediately.
COOKING
Never leave cooking situations unattended. keep cooking areas clear of combustibles (paper, towels, etc.) and wear clothing with short rolled up or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't accidentally bump them and children can't grab them. Enforce a "kid-free zone" that is three feet around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan, don't panic, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat source. Leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool.
HAVE an ESCAPE PLAN
If a fire breaks out in your home, you have to get out fast. Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your family and designing an escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least two unobstructed ways out - doors and windows - from every room. If you live in an apartment building, use the stairs - do not include elevators in your escape plan. Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone will gather after they escape. Have your entire household practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with heat. The air is cleaner near the floor. If you encounter smoke or flames while you are escaping from a fire, use an alternative escape route. If you must escape through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head twelve to twenty-four inches above the floor. Once you get out stay out! Never go back in to a burning building.
STOP, DROP, and ROLL
If your clothes catch fire, don't run. STOP where you are, DROP to the ground, cover your face with your hands and ROLL over and over to smother the flames. Be sure to practice this with your children.
A fun way to practice is to take a piece of masking tape colored red and put it on your child. Tell them that their clothes are now on fire and ask them what they should do.
SPACE HEATERS
Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from heaters and never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed.
BURNS
Run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never apply ice. It is dangerous to put butter or any other grease on a burn because it seals in the heat and can damage the tissue further. If the burned skin blisters or is chard, seek medical attention immediately.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
If an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, turn it off and unplug it immediately. Have the appliance serviced before using it again. Replace any electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don't tamper with your fuse box or use improperly sized fuses.
CARBON MONOXIDE
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you. Because you can't see, taste or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it's there. At lower levels of exposure, carbon monoxide may cause numerous health problems. Some symptoms of CO poisoning may be:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Unconsciousness
Everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Pets and some individuals may be more vulnerable to poisoning though, such as unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens and people with heart or lung problems.
Why is it so dangerous?
The great danger of carbon monoxide is its attraction to hemoglobin in the bloodstream, which normally carries life-giving oxygen to cells and tissues. As even small amounts are breathed in, carbon monoxide quickly bonds with hemoglobin in the blood, displacing the oxygen that organs need to function. When CO is present in the air, it rapidly accumulates in the blood, forming a toxic compound known as carboxyhemoglobin (COHb).
Where does it come from?
Carbon monoxide is a common byproduct of combustion, present whenever fossil fuels are burned. It is produced by malfunctioning or un-vented gas or oil home appliances such as furnaces, clothes dryers, ranges, ovens, water heaters and space heaters as well as fireplaces, charcoal grills and wood burning stoves. Automobile exhaust also contains high levels of carbon monoxide that can seep into a home if a vehicle is left running in an attached garage. All of these sources can contribute to a CO problem in the home.
Usually, carbon monoxide is vented safely to the outside. However, insulation meant to keep indoor air warm during the winter or cool in the summer months can help trap CO-polluted air in the home. Furnace heat exchangers can crack; vents and chimneys may reverse direction causing a downdraft which traps combustion gasses in the home.
How can I protect my family?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) recommends installing at least one carbon monoxide alarm with an audible warning signal near the sleeping area. Choose an Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) listed alarm that sounds an audible warning. Look for the UL logo on the product package.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) also recommends UL listed carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and in areas near appliances that are potential sources of CO. Look for the IAFC logo on the package when you select an alarm.
In addition to installing carbon monoxide alarms as a first line of defense, residents should have a qualified professional check all fuel burning appliances, furnaces, venting and chimney systems at least once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer.
