October is Fire Prevention Month. Now is also a good time for all residents to review some Fire Prevention Awareness Tips to ensure fire safety in your home, reinforce what your children have learned in school, and to go over plans for the safe evacuation of your home in the event of a fire or emergency in your home.
Electrical Wiring:
• Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires.
• Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
• Make sure wiring does not run under rugs, over nails or across high traffic areas.
• Do not overload outlets.
During a fire:
If your clothes catch on fire, you should:
• Stop, drop, and roll until the fire is extinguished.
Do not panic:
• Do not assume someone else already called the fire department. Get out of the house, then call.
Escape a fire:
• Check closed doors with the back of your hand to feel for heat before you open them.
• If the door is hot do not open it. Find a second way out, such as a window. Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, bedding or tape and cover vents to keep smoke out.
• If there is a phone in the room where you are trapped, call the fire department again and tell them exactly where you are.
• If the door is cold slowly open it and ensure that fire and/or smoke is not blocking your escape route. If your escape route is blocked, shut the door and use another escape route.
• If clear, leave immediately and close the door behind you. Be prepared to crawl.
After a fire:
• Once you are out of the building, stay out. Do not go back inside for any reason.
• Tell the fire department if you know of anyone trapped in the building.
—Submitted by Kevin Regan
