ENGINE
RESCUE
TRUCK
EMS
VALLEY REGIONAL
FIRE RESCUE
1. Install Smoke Detectors
.
WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS can alert you to a fire in your home in time for
you to escape, even if you are sleeping. Install smoke detectors on
every level of your home, including the basement, and outside each
sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, install one inside
your sleeping area as well.
Test detectors every month, following the manufacturer's directions, and
replace batteries once a year, or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal
low battery power. Never "borrow" a smoke detector's battery for another
use - a disabled detector can't save your life. Replace detectors that
are more than 10 years old.
2. Plan your escape from a Fire
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 agreeing on an
escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least two unobstructed exits
- doors and windows - from every room. (If you live in an apartment
building, do not include elevators in your escape plan.) Decide on a
meeting place outside where everyone will meet after they escape. Have
your entire household practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
3. Keep an eye on Smokers
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America.
Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be deadly. Provide smokers
with large, deep non-tip 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.
4. Cook Carefully
Never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles
and wear clothes with short, rolled-up or tight-fitting sleeves when you
cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and
children can't grab them. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" three feet (one
meter) around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide
a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave
the lid on until cool.
5. Give Space Heaters Space
Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter)
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.
6. Remember: Matches and Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys.
In a child's hand, matches and lighters can be deadly. Use only
child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high,
where small children can't see or reach them, preferably in a locked
cabinet. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not
toys, and should be used only by adults or with adult supervision. Teach
young children to tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters;
older children should bring matches or lighters to an adult immediately.
7. Cool a Burn
Run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never put butter or any
grease on a burn. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a
doctor immediately. Never use ice.
8. Use Electricity Safetly
If an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it
immediately, then have it serviced before using it again. Replace any
electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don't overload extension
cords or run them under rugs. Dont' tamper with your fuse box or use
improper-size fuses.
9. Crawl low under smoke
During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with the heat. The air is
cleaner near the floor. If you encounter smoke while you are escaping
from a fire, use an alternate escape route.
10. 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.
WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS can alert you to a fire in your home in time for
you to escape, even if you are sleeping. Install smoke detectors on
every level of your home, including the basement, and outside each
sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, install one inside
your sleeping area as well.
Test detectors every month, following the manufacturer's directions, and
replace batteries once a year, or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal
low battery power. Never "borrow" a smoke detector's battery for another
use - a disabled detector can't save your life. Replace detectors that
are more than 10 years old.
2. Plan your escape from a Fire
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 agreeing on an
escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least two unobstructed exits
- doors and windows - from every room. (If you live in an apartment
building, do not include elevators in your escape plan.) Decide on a
meeting place outside where everyone will meet after they escape. Have
your entire household practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
3. Keep an eye on Smokers
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America.
Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be deadly. Provide smokers
with large, deep non-tip 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.
4. Cook Carefully
Never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles
and wear clothes with short, rolled-up or tight-fitting sleeves when you
cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and
children can't grab them. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" three feet (one
meter) around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide
a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave
the lid on until cool.
5. Give Space Heaters Space
Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter)
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.
6. Remember: Matches and Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys.
In a child's hand, matches and lighters can be deadly. Use only
child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high,
where small children can't see or reach them, preferably in a locked
cabinet. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not
toys, and should be used only by adults or with adult supervision. Teach
young children to tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters;
older children should bring matches or lighters to an adult immediately.
7. Cool a Burn
Run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never put butter or any
grease on a burn. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a
doctor immediately. Never use ice.
8. Use Electricity Safetly
If an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it
immediately, then have it serviced before using it again. Replace any
electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don't overload extension
cords or run them under rugs. Dont' tamper with your fuse box or use
improper-size fuses.
9. Crawl low under smoke
During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with the heat. The air is
cleaner near the floor. If you encounter smoke while you are escaping
from a fire, use an alternate escape route.
10. 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.
Fire Prevention
