In the USA, there are hundreds of thousands of fires each year, with thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. In most cases, fires could have been prevented, or the damage significantly reduced if people were prepared properly.
There are some things you can do in order to protect your home, as well as prepare yourself and your home in case a fire actually does happen. Follow these instructions in order to maximize your chances of avoiding or successfully fight a house fire.
Get a Fire Extinguisher
There are many different kinds of fire extinguishers for different kinds of fires. Make sure that you have the appropriate kind for your home. Seeing how the majority of home fires are cooking fires, try finding fire extinguishers designed to put out those kinds of fires.
Once you have a fire extinguisher, make sure that you keep it in top form by performing regular checkups. You can learn more about that here http://www.redtruckfire.com/services.html.
Have Functioning Smoke Detectors
Having a functioning smoke detector could save your life. There is an estimate by National Fire Protection Association that about half of all fires occur during the night. These devices can wake you up and make sure that you leave your home safely and even put out the fire if it’s small and not too dangerous.
It is important to keep the batteries in smoke detectors operational. When the battery is low, the detectors beep every minute or so. Don’t disconnect them for being annoying, replace the battery and keep your home safer.
Have a Fire Escape Plan
The majority of businesses are obligated by law to have a fire protection plan, which includes an escape plan. Even though you aren’t obligated to have one in your home, it may be a useful thing. The shortest and simplest distance in your house should be designated as an escape route and you should try to keep it as clutter-free as possible.
Ensure that all your family members are familiar with the plan. It is also important that nobody tries to put out the fire without proper equipment or fire extinguisher training to prevent further damage or injury.
Designate a Meeting Place
Speaking of fire escape plans, one important part of it is to have a pre-determined meeting place for everyone to go to. That way you can ensure that everyone is safe, and that helps the firefighters in their job. If you can tell them whether there is someone still in the house, you can ensure that they do their job more efficiently and quickly.
Know the Drill
If you happen to be caught in the fire, you should know what to do. Your instincts may be to hide somewhere in your house. However, it is a very bad idea. If the fire escalates, it is likely to engulf whatever hiding place you have chosen.
It is important to know that in most cases it is not the fire that kills and injures people. I most cases, the injuries are caused by the heat or the smoke than by the flames directly. Still, if your clothes do happen to catch fire, remember the same old mantra – stop, drop, and roll.
It is important not to run, because that just fans the fire, so stopping is crucial. After that, you want to roll on the floor in order to physically extinguish the fire. Call for help if anyone is there, but don’t wait for them – act.
Fires are a serious matter, and you should not take them lightly. Like the old proverb says ‘If you want peace, prepare for war’.
To contact Red Truck Fire & Safety Co.
2073 Refugee Road f Columbus, OH 43207-1775
844-875-1960
