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The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your
family, and your property in the event of a fire:
Smoke Alarms
- Install smoke alarms. Properly working smoke alarms decrease
your chances of dying in a fire by half.
- Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence. Place
them outside bedrooms on the ceiling or high on the wall (4 to
12 inches from ceiling), at the top of open stairways, or at
the bottom of enclosed stairs and near (but not in) the
kitchen.
- Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace
batteries at least once a year, time change in fall. Replace smoke alarms once
every 10 years
Escaping the Fire
- Review escape routes with your family. Practice escaping
from each room.
- Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut. Make sure
security gratings on windows have a fire safety opening
feature so they can be easily opened from the inside.
- Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one
level, and ensure that burglar bars and other antitheft
mechanisms that block outside window entry are easily opened
from the inside.
- Teach family members to stay low to the floor (where the air
is safer in a fire) when escaping from a fire.
- Clean out storage areas. Do not let trash, such as old
newspapers and magazines, accumulate.
Flammable Items
- Never use gasoline, benzene, naphtha, or similar flammable
liquids indoors, particular near gas stoves or hot water
heaters.
- Store flammable liquids in approved containers in
well-ventilated storage areas.
- Never smoke near flammable liquids.
- Discard all rags or materials that have been soaked in
flammable liquids after you have used them. Safely discard
them outdoors in a metal container.
- Insulate chimneys and place spark arresters on top. The
chimney should be at least three feet higher than the roof.
Remove branches hanging above and around the chimney.
Heating Sources
- Be careful when using alternative heating sources.
- Check with your local fire department on the legality of
using kerosene heaters in your community. Be sure to fill
kerosene heaters outside, and be sure they have cooled.
- Place heaters at least three feet away from flammable
materials. Make sure the floor and nearby walls are properly
insulated.
- Use only the type of fuel designated for your unit and
follow manufacturer’s instructions.
- Remove ashes with a metal shovel and place in a metal container
to carry outside. Place ashes in open area away from your
residence.
- Keep open flames, i.e. candles, away from walls, furniture, drapery, and
flammable items.
- Keep a screen in front of the fireplace.
- Have heating units inspected and cleaned annually by a
certified specialist.
Matches and Smoking
- Keep matches in a metal container and lighters up high, away from children, and,
if possible, in a locked cabinet.
- Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated. Provide
smokers with deep, sturdy ashtrays. Douse cigarette and cigar
butts with water before disposal.
Electrical Wiring
- Have the electrical wiring in your residence checked by an
electrician for loose wire connections.
- Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose
plugs.
- 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 except in appropriate tunnels.
- Do not overload extension cords or outlets. If you need to
plug in two or three appliances, get a UL-approved unit with
built-in circuit breakers to prevent sparks and short
circuits.
- Make sure insulation does not touch bare electrical wiring.
Other
- Sleep with your door closed.
- Install A-B-C-type fire extinguishers in your residence and
teach family members how to use them.
- Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in
your residence.
- Ask your local fire department to inspect your residence for
fire safety and prevention.
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