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Helpful Information What will your family do in case of a fire? • SMOKE DETECTORS Smoke is responsible for three out of four deaths. • Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and outside of sleeping areas. • Test every detector at least once a month. [See your instruction book for the location of the test button.] • Keep smoke detectors dust free. Replace batteries with new ones at least once a year, or sooner if the detector makes a chirping sound. • If you have a smoke detector directly wired into your electrical system, be sure that the little signal light is blinking periodically. This tells you that the alarm is active. • Inexpensive smoke detectors are available for the hearing impaired. • FIRE EXTINGUISHERS • Fire extinguishers should be mounted in the kitchen, garage, and workshop. • Purchase an ABC type extinguisher for extinguishing all types of fires. • Learn how to use your fire extinguisher before there is an emergency. • Remember, use an extinguisher on small fires only. If there is a large fire, get out immediately and call 911 from another location.  • THINKING AHEAD: Your Exit Plan• Prepare a floor plan of your home showing at least two ways out of each room. • Sleep with your bedroom door closed. In the event of fire, it helps to hold back heat and smoke. But if a door feels hot, do not open it; escape through another door or window. • Easy-to-use window escape ladders are available through many catalogs and outlet stores. For instance, First Alert sells one for around $90. • Agree on a fixed location out-of-doors where family members are to gather for a head count. • Stay together away from the fire. Call 911 from another location. Make certain that no one goes back inside the burning building. • Check corridors and stairways to make sure they are free of obstructions and combustibles. • To help cut down on the need for an emergency exit in the first place, clear all unnecessary items from the attic, basement, garage, and closets. • FIREPLACE • Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying. • Don't store newspapers, kindling, or matches near the fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden floor right in front of the fireplace. • Have your chimney inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season and cleaned to remove combustible creosote build-up if necessary. • Install a chimney spark arrester to prevent roof fires. • When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first, then turn on the gas.  • FURNACE/SPACE HEATERS• Install and maintain heating equipment correctly. Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season . • Don't store newspapers, rags, or other combustible materials near a furnace, hot water heater, space heater, etc. • Don't leave space heaters operating when you're not in the room. • Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that might burn, including the wall. • Don't use extension cords with electrical space heaters. The high amount of current they require could melt the cord and start a fire. • When lighting a gas space heater, strike your match first, then turn on the gas. • Never use a gas range as a substitute for a furnace or space heater. • CLOTHES DRYER • Never leave home with the clothes dryer running. • Dryers must be vented to the outside, not into a wall or attic. • Clean the lint screen frequently to keep the airway clear. • Never put in synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber, or foam because they retain heat. • ELECTRICAL HAZARDS • It is better not to use extension cords. If you feel you must use one, make sure that it is not frayed or worn. Do not run it under a rug or twist it around a nail or hook. • Never overload a socket. In particular, the use of "octopus" outlets, outlet extensions that accommodate several plugs, is strongly discouraged. • Do not use light bulb wattage which is too high for the fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture which tells the maximum wattage. • Check periodically for loose wall receptacles, loose wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking means that you've waited too long. • Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating. The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets, and to powerful lamps. • If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that line. • Be sure all electrical equipment bears the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label. • In many older homes, the capacity of the wiring system has not kept pace with today's modern appliances. Overloaded electrical systems invite fire. Watch for these overload signals: dimming lights when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow heating appliances, or fuses blowing frequently. Call a qualified electrician to get expert help.  • KITCHEN• It's wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen. • Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door. • Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the kitchen. • Don't store items on the stove top, as they could catch fire. • Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use. • Don't overload kitchen electrical outlets and don't use appliances with frayed or cracked wires. • Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook. Here's why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe, apron, or loose sleeve. • Be sure your stove is not located under a window in which curtains are hanging. • Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly. and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool. • Operate your microwave only when there is food in it. • CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN • Keep lighters and matches out of the reach of children. • Never leave children unattended with fire or space heaters. • Children are naturally curious about fire, so keep an eye on them. But if a child repeatedly plays with fire or seems to have a morbid fascination with fire, seek professional help at once. • If youngsters live with you or stay overnight occasionally, be sure that they know how to escape from every room and are part of your emergency exit plan. [See "Thinking Ahead" above] • GASOLINE AND OTHER FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS • Flammable liquids should be stored only in approved safety containers, and the containers should be kept outside the house and garage in a separate storage shed. • Gas up lawn equipment and snow throwers outside, away from enclosed areas and any source of sparks or heat. • Start the equipment 10 feet from where you filled it with fuel. • Don't fill a hot lawn mower, snow thrower, or other motor; let it cool first. • Never clean floors or do other general cleaning with gasoline or flammable liquids. • SMOKING • Never smoke in bed. • Don't smoke when you are drinking or are abnormally tired. • Use large, deep ashtrays, and empty them frequently. • Never dump an ashtray into the trash without wetting the butts and ashes first. |
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