General Fire Safety Tips

1. Create An Escape Plan In Case Of A Fire.
If a fire starts 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. 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.

2. Install Smoke Detectors.
Working Smoke Detectors can alert you to a fire in your home. 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 twice 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. Click here for more information on Smoke Detectors.

3. Smokers Caution.
Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be deadly. Smokers should have a large ashtray and soak cigarette butts with water before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home after smoking, check around cushions and upholstered furniture for smoldering cigarettes.

4. Be Careful in the Kitchen.
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. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. In case small fire emergencies you should have a Fire Extinguisher near by.

5. Space Heaters Need 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. Matches And Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys.
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 child that matches and lighters are tools, not toys, and should be used only by adults or with adult supervision.

7. Use Electricity Safely.
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. Don't' tamper with your fuse box or use improper-size fuses.

8. For Burns.
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.

9. 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.

10. 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.