October (specifically October 3rd to October 9th) is Fire Prevention Month! In commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, it’s time to reevaluate your fire safety needs, draft a family action plan, and ensure your alarms are in working order. In the event of a fire, it’s best to be ready and prepared to protect what matters most.
Causes of Fires — Fires are most commonly caused by unattended cooking. It only takes a matter of moments for an accident to occur, so attend your cooking at all times, even if it appears to be under control. Other common fire starters are portable heaters, electrical fires, and candles. Be safe and follow all instructions and precautions when handling anything from above.
Family Action Plan — While precautions and safety should be paramount, you should expect the worst. When a fire does start, it’s better to be prepared with a Family Action Plan so all loved ones know how to best escape the house. It only takes up to 2 minutes for a fire to spread rapidly throughout the home. A map should be drawn that illustrates ways out of the house from each room, as well as a minimum of two exits from each room. This will ensure, no matter the circumstance, everyone can evacuate the home in a timely manner.
After preparing a Family Action Plan, designate a safe spot to meet, such as the neighbor’s home or under a streetlamp. This ensures finding out who is safe and who might still be in danger is as easy for rescue personnel as possible. Practice this Family Action Plan twice a year for the best results in the event of an emergency.
Fire and Carbon Monoxide Alarms — The best way to know about a potential danger in the house is through ceiling-mounted alarms. The fire alarm can detect smoke in the air, so it should be placed on every floor of the house, as well as in every bedroom. Similarly, the carbon monoxide alarm can detect odorless, invisible carbon monoxide. While it’s not a fire, carbon monoxide is just as deadly. Thus, a carbon monoxide detector should be placed on every floor of the home, as well as in every bedroom. Do not place a fire or carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen or the garage. While this may sound counterproductive, the National Fire Prevention Association advocates against alarms in these locations.
Once your alarms are in place, check them monthly and change out the batteries whenever they start chirping. 3 in every 5 home fire deaths are a result of homes with no working smoke alarms, so test them often and frequently. Remember, these are your first and best warning for fires or carbon monoxide. It’s better to be prepared!
Fire Extinguishers — Fire spreads quickly, taking up to 2 minutes to spread to an uncontrollable size. In some cases, fires can prevent exit from the home. In cases like this, fire extinguishers are paramount to your well-being. Fire extinguishers should be kept on every floor of the home and be readily accessible. Fire extinguishers should especially be placed in the kitchen and garage. These two spaces see more fires than anywhere else in the home, so extra extinguishers should be placed in these areas as well.
Once your fire extinguishers are in place, make sure to label them when you got them! Fire extinguishers expire after 5 to 15 years, so make sure to inspect them each month and determine if they’re still reliable.
Fire Prevention Week is all about planning and preparing for the worst. While many of these steps might seem overboard, they will pay off in the event of an emergency. A fire can occur anywhere and takes moments to spread. It’s better to be prepared with a family action plan, multiple fire and carbon monoxide alarms, and multiple, reliable fire extinguishers.
Sources:Fire Alert
NFPA
Photo by: Erik Mclean