Most people aren’t prepared for a fire. Maybe it’s because they think it will never happen to them or, if it does, they won’t have any trouble getting out safely. In most fires, you’ll have only three to four minutes to escape safely. This is not enough time to devise a plan and make sure everyone in your home knows what to do.

Devising an escape plan now and practicing it with your family can help insure that everyone will get out safely, should you ever have a fire. For most, fires are scary and unfamiliar. By practicing an escape plan, you could help your family react faster and make better choices for their safe escape, even though they may be panicked and frightened.

• Plan two ways out of every room, and include the windows as an option.
• Test the emergency exits, like the windows, to make sure you can open them and remove the screens and storm windows inside.
• Test all smoke alarms monthly to ensure that they work. Replace batteries as needed.
• Make sure everyone understands the escape plan and recognizes the sound of the smoke alarm. If children or others do not readily awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there are infants or other family members with mobility limitations, make sure that your plan identifies someone to assist them.
• Teach your family to stay low and crawl below the smoke to avoid its poisonous gases. Crawling to the exits is vital as 80% of all fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation.
• Arrange for a meeting place outside the home. Make sure everyone knows to get out quickly, go to the meeting place, and not return for any reason, not even for pets or a favorite toy.
• Call the fire department from a neighbor’s house or use a cellular phone. Do not stay in a burning building to use a phone.

Do you have a fire safety or EMS question? We welcome your inquiries at fireinfo@wtwp.com.

Article Credits: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Many fire departments offer free safety information, so in addition to reviewing the ideas below, ask about ways you can keep your family safe. Then set aside a night to have fun and discuss safety.

Smoke detector check: If you don’t have smokd detectors, purchase them. If you do, determine whether the batteries are working. Make sure that everyone knows where the smoke detectors are located and how they sound.

Carbon Monoxide detectors are recommended for homes with gas-burning appliances. Make sure detectors work and your family knows how they sound.

Home escape plan. Draw a diagram of your home. Talk about reasons you would need to leave your house, such as a fire or gas leak. Have children draw all the ways to safely exit the house.

Outside location. Decide on a meeting place that is a safe distance from your house. Then practice exiting the house from different locations and meeting there.

Electrical problems. Take your family on a home tour. Look for overloaded electrical outlets and cords that run under rugs or show signs of wear. Contact a certified electrician if you locate wiring problems.

Combustible storage. Ensure that combustible material is not stored within three feet of any flame-producting appliance.

Inside location. Talk about reasons – such as an approaching tornado – you would need to find a safe place inside your house. Store blankets and bottle water there. Let family members draw routes on the home diagram from each room and practice meeting at this safe place.

Teach your family and Test your knowledge: Consider providing a Residential Home Fire Safety Course to your family. The Flashpoint curriculum will teach you what to do, what to prevent and what to avoid, as well as:

• Increase families’ fire safety awareness through an effective web-based training program.
• Teach parents, children, and other occupants of residential dwellings how to prevent fires and fire related injuries, and create a fire safe environment.
• Enable families and other occupants to effectively create and use a fire plan.
• Teach individuals to react correctly when a fire occurs.
• Enable proficiency in inspecting available fire safety equipment.
• End results: survival.

Go to www.nifast.org to learn more.

Conclude your family safety night by enjoying a treat to celebrate that you are all together and safe.

The article contains information provided by Ted Collas of Thriving Family Magazine (July/August 2010 edition).

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Very shortly, many college students will be on their way to college. Some will be living on campus or in off-campus housing.  So, here are some safety tips that students should be aware of.  All students should review these tips and parents, please share these tips with your child before he or she heads off to college this year.

• Have an escape plan. Learn where all the exits are to make a faster escape in a fire emergency.  On campus, there should be a plan in place already. If you don’t know what it is, the Public Safety Office should be able to tell you. If this information is not readily available or you are living off campus, take a few minutes to walk around and do your own pre-plan.
• Know how to make a notification of a fire emergency .  Find out where alarm pull boxes are and what number to call to report a fire.
• If the alarm sounds, leave immediately and close the door behind you. Remember to take your keys should you have to re-enter the room if your escape route is blocked with fire or smoke.
• Don’t hang anything from sprinkler heads. This could disable or block the flow of water, which is necessary to help contain or extinguish flames.
• Make sure there are working smoke detectors outside and inside your sleeping quarters. Test monthly. Never disable a smoke detector or the fire alarm. These are installed to give warning to you and your neighbors so you can quickly exit should smoke or fire be detected.
• Only use fire extinguisher for emergencies. They are there for you to use should you have to put out a small, contained fire.  Don’t waste this equipment on a midnight water fight!  For an extra level of safety, keep an ABC extinguisher in your room and learn how to use it.  They are labeled with simple instructions.

Know how to escape:

• If you have to escape through smoke, get low and get to the nearest exit. The cleanest air is close to the ground.
• Before opening a door, feel the door with the back of your hand. If it’s hot, don’t open it. Find a second way out.
• If you are trapped in your room, seal your door with towels, rags, or clothing so that smoke cannot enter from the hall.
• Get out and stay out.  No textbook, homework assignment, laptop, cell phone or wallet is worth going back for.  You were lucky to get out safely once. You might not be as lucky a second time.

Article provided by, Wendy Liu. Wendy is a mother, and also the Public Information Officer for the Sayville Fire Department who also enjoys spending time volunteering within the community. To learn more about Wendy and preview her other article, please visit: http://sayville.patch.com/users/wendy-liu/articles.

Images provided by www.google.com/images.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Smoke also contains another poisonous gas called carbon monoxide. This tasteless, odorless gas causes confusion, reduced mental capacity and eventually death.  If impaired by carbon monoxide poisoning, victims will likely be challenged to find an escape route or make a sound decision about their safety. Knowing how to avoid smoke is one of the most important factors in surviving a fire.

Smoke is lighter than air so it rises above air. During a fire, the superheated air and smoke fill the room from the top down. Some poisonous smoke may settle near the floor, but in between is a safety zone of breathable air about one to two feet above the floor.

To prevent smoke inhalation, crawl on your hands and knees to your exit, keeping your head in the safety zone. Firefighters use this same method when navigating a building where smoke is present.

Getting an early warning to the presence of smoke can give you the few vital minutes you need to get out safely. Smoke alarms are designed to do just that.  They give you the precious time you need to implement your escape plan and crawl under the smoke to safety.

Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

LiveSafe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.