Fire Safety and Prevention

Fire destroys homes and lives every day so it’s important that everyone knows how best to prevent it.
Here are some tips that everyone should follow:

1. Install fire alarms and smoke detectors. Test each alarm once a month to make sure it’s working.
2. Teach children the basics of fire safety and how to prevent, prepare for, and deal with a fire.
3. Always keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
4. Keep flammable items at least three feet away from anything hot. (e.g. fireplaces, ovens, stove).
5. Only smoke outside and made sure the butt is fully extinguished.
6. Stay in the kitchen. When you’re cooking, always stay nearby in case something catches fire.
7. Turn off appliances. Remember to shut off your stove when you’re done cooking.
8. Extinguish controlled fires completely. This includes fireplace fires and those in fire pits in the backyard.

Fire Safety Products
Here are some fire safety products that everyone should have.

1. Fire Blanket. Used to extinguish a small fire by smothering it before it has a chance to get any bigger.
2. Smoke Detectors. Check yours every month. Smoke detectors are so important but many people don’t check them regularly.
3. Fire Extinguishers. Store a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and why not on the landing near bedrooms too.
4. A Fire Escape Plan. Each apartment above the ground level should have one display.

What To Do in a Fire
1. Call the fire department immediately.
2. Assess if you can put the blaze out yourself and extinguish the fire if you can.
3. Rescue humans and pets first, belongings second. In an actual fire, the only non replaceable items are those that are living.
4. Stop, drop, and crawl. Often times in fires, smoke and heat are more dangerous than the flames themselves.
5. Never take the elevator. You should cover this in your fire escape plan, but let us reiterate: never take an elevator during a fire!
6. Test doorknobs. In an actual fire, you shouldn’t walk into any room without touching the doorknobs first. If there is heat, it’s probably not safe to enter. Opening doors can also increase airflow and accelerate the rate in which fire spreads.
7. Don’t panic. Panicking can cloud your brain and prevent you from thinking clearly.
8. Get out and stay out.

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