PREPARATION AND PLANNING

In the event a fire breaks out, time will be short and preparation and planning will be critical. The advice presented here are a compilation of the preparation and planning topics from the NFPA and USFA. The NFPA and USFA are leading agencies in the US regarding fire safety. We encourage our neighbors to visit these sites to gain more knowledge regarding Fire Safety. Please also check out FireSafety.gov, which has additional Fire Safety Tips and Product Recall Information. Note: For information regarding Fire Safety and Prevention please see our Prevention Page.

Smoke Detectors

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Fire Extinguishers

Escape Planning

Concerns For Older Adults

Smoke Detectors - TEST YOUR DETECTORS FOR LIFE!

Smoke alarms are the residential fire safety success story of the past quarter century. Smoke alarm technology has been around since the 1960s. But the single-station, battery-powered smoke alarm we know today became available to consumers in the 1970s, and since then, the home fire death rate has been reduced by half. NFPA estimates that 94% of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm today, and most states have laws requiring them in residential dwellings.

Important: Working smoke alarms are essential in every household. It is necessary to practice home fire drills to be certain everyone is familiar with the smoke alarm signal, and to determine if there are any obstacles to a quick and safe evacuation (including the inability for some to awaken to the smoke alarm signal).

Facts & Figures

• 19 of every 20 homes (95%) in the U.S. have at least one smoke alarm.
• More than half of home fire deaths result from fires in the 5% of homes with no smoke alarms.
• Homes with smoke alarms (whether or not they are operational) typically have a death rate that is 40-50% less than the rate for homes without alarms.
• In one-quarter of the reported fires in homes equipped with smoke alarms, the devices did not work. Households with non-working smoke alarms now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.
• Why do smoke alarms fail? Most often because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries.
  Source: NFPA's "U.S. Experience with Smoke Alarms and Other Fire Alarms" report. (Members only**)

Installation Tips

• Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home (including the basement) and outside each sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, NFPA recommends installing smoke alarms inside the room. In new homes, smoke alarms are required in all sleeping rooms, according to the NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code®.
• Mount the smoke alarms on ceilings or high on walls – remember, smoke rises. Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches, but not more than 12 inches away from the ceiling. On vaulted ceilings, be sure to mount the alarm at the highest point of the ceiling.
• Don't install smoke alarms near windows, outside doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
• Don't paint your smoke alarms; paint or other decorations could keep them from working when you most need it.

Maintenance Tips

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by using the alarm's "test button" or an approved smoke substitute, and clean the units in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms once a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps," warning that the battery is low. Hint: schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clock from daylight to standard time in the fall.
• Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarm following manufacturer's instructions can help keep it working properly.
• Replace your smoke alarms once every 10 years.
• Never "borrow" a battery from a smoke alarm.
• Make sure that everyone in your home can hear and recognize the sound of the alarm and knows how to react immediately.
• NFPA recommends that people who have hearing impairments install smoke alarms with strobe lights to alert them to a fire.
• Be sure that the smoke alarm you buy carries the label of an independent testing lab. For a list of manufacturers that distribute smoke alarms for the hearing impaired, please call NFPA´s Center for High-Risk Outreach at +1 617 984-7826.
• Alarms that are hard-wired to the home's electrical system should be installed by a qualified electrician.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Safety

Safety tips

• Install CO alarms (listed by an independent testing laboratory) inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO.
• CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each separate sleeping area.
• After purchasing an alarm, call your local fire department's non-emergency telephone number to find out what number to call if the CO alarm sounds. Post that number by your telephone(s) and make sure everyone in the household knows the difference between the fire emergency and CO emergency numbers (if there is a difference).
• Test CO alarms at least once a month, and replace CO alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle, generator, or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Never leave your vehicle running when it is parked or covered in snow.
• Have fuel-burning household heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, wood and coal stoves, space or portable heaters) and chimneys inspected by a professional every year before cold weather sets in.
• When using a fireplace, open the flue for adequate ventilation.
• Open a window slightly whenever using a kerosene or gas heater. (Kerosene heaters are illegal in many states. Always check with local authorities before buying or using one.) Only refuel outside, after the device has cooled.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Only use barbecue grills – which can produce CO – outside. Never use them in the home or garage.
• When purchasing new heating and cooking equipment, select products tested and labeled by an independent testing laboratory.
• When purchasing an existing home, have a qualified technician evaluate the integrity of the heating and cooking systems, as well as the sealed spaces between the garage and house.
• When camping, remember to use battery-powered heaters and flashlights in tents trailers, and motor homes.
• CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home and in or outside all sleeping areas.
• Know the difference between the sound of the smoke alarms and the sound of the CO alarms.

If your CO alarm sounds

• If it is a battery-powered intermittent alarm, check the battery.
• If it is a steady alarm or you are unable to determine, evacuate the dwelling. Do not re-enter until the responding agency says it is ok.
• Report the CO alarm warning by calling the appropriate phone number.
• Call a qualified technician to inspect all equipment.

Symptoms of CO poisoning

• Severe headache, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, or faintness. Many of these symptoms are similar to the flu, food poisoning or other illnesses.

Extinguishers Have Limits 

USED PROPERLY, a portable fire extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until the fire department arrives. 

Portable extinguishers for home use, however, are not designed to fight large or spreading fires. Even against small fires, they are useful only under certain conditions. 

The operator must know how to use the extinguisher. There is no time to read directions during an emergency. 

The extinguisher must be within easy reach and in working order, fully charged. 

The operator must have a clear escape route that will not be blocked by fire. 

The extinguisher must match the type of fire being fought. Extinguishers that contain water are unsuitable for use on grease or electrical fires. 

The extinguisher must be large enough to put out the fire. Many portable
extinguishers discharge completely in as few as 8 to 10 seconds. 

Choosing Your Extinguisher 

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE tested by independent laboratories and labeled for the type and size of fire they can extinguish. Use these labels as a guide to purchase the kind of extinguisher that suits you needs. 

Classes of Fires 

There are three classes of fire. All fire extinguishers are labeled using standard symbols for the classes of fires they can put out. A red slash through any of the symbols tells you the extinguisher cannot be used on that class of fire. A missing symbol tells you only that the extinguisher has not been tested for a given class of fire. 

Class A: Ordinary combustibles such as wood, cloth, and paper. 

Class B: Flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, and oil-based paint. 

Class C: Energized electrical equipment - including wiring, fuse boxes, circuit breakers,
and appliances. 

The extinguisher must be appropriate for the type of fire being fought. If you use the wrong type of extinguisher, you can endanger yourself and make the fire worse.

Multipurpose fire extinguishers marked ABC may be used on all three classes of fires. 

Remember, in some cases it may be dangerous to use any type of extinguisher. For instance, pressurized extinguishing agent could spread a grease pan fire rather than put it out. 

Extinguisher Sizes 

Portable extinguishers are also rated for the size of fire they can handle. This rating will appear on the label - for example, 2A:10B:C. The larger the numbers, the larger the fire that the extinguisher can put out, but higher-rated models are often heavier. Make sure you can hold and operate the extinguisher before you buy it. 

Installation and Maintenance 

EXTINGUISHERS SHOULD BE installed in plain view, above the reach of children, near an escape route, and away from stoves and heating appliances. 

Extinguishers require routine care. Read you operator's manual to learn how to inspect your extinguisher. Follow manufacturer's instructions on maintenance. 

Rechargeable models must be serviced after every use. (Service companies are listed in the Yellow Pages under "Fire Extinguishers.") Disposable fire extinguishers can be used only once and must be replaced after use. 

Remember the Pass-Word 

KEEP Your back to an unobstructed exit and stand six to eight feet away from the fire.

Follow the four-step PASS procedure. 

PULL the pin: This unlocks the operating lever and allows you to discharge the extinguisher. Some extinguishers may have other lever-release mechanisms. 

AIM low: Point the extinguisher nozzle (or hose) at the base of the fire. 

SQUEEZE the lever above the handle: This discharges the extinguishing agent. Releasing the lever will stop the discharge. (Some extinguishers have a button instead of
a lever.) 

SWEEP from side to side: Moving carefully toward the fire, keep the extinguisher aimed at the base of the fire and sweep back and forth until the flames appear to be out. Watch the fire area. If the fire reignites, repeat the process. *Always be sure the fire department inspects the fire site, even if you thing you've extinguished the fire. 

Should you Fight the Fire? 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN to fight a fire: 

Make sure everyone has left, or is leaving, the building. 

Make sure the fire department has been called. 

Make sure the fire is confined to a small area and is not spreading. 

Be sure you have an unobstructed escape route to which the fire will not spread. 

Be sure you have read the instructions and that you know how to use the
extinguisher. 

It is reckless to fight a fire in any other circumstances. Instead, leave immediately and close off the area.

*Reprinted from NFPA pamphlet "Home Portable Fire Extinguishers" 

• Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Draw a floor plan of your home(PDF*, 73 KB) showing two ways out of each room, including windows. Don't forget to mark the location of each smoke alarm.
• Test all smoke alarms (Listed by a qualified testing laboratory) monthly to ensure that they work. Replace batteries as needed.
• Make sure that everyone understands the escape plan and recognizes the sound of the smoke alarm. Are the escape routes clear? Can doors and windows be opened easily?
• If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have quick- release mechanisms on the inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency. Quick-release mechanisms won't compromise your security – but they will increase your chances of safely escaping a home fire. 
• Practice the escape plan at least twice a year, making sure that everyone is involved – from kids to grandparents. Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill. If children or others do not readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there are infants or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in fire drill and in the event of an emergency.
• Agree on an outside meeting place where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Remember to get out first, then call for help. Never go back inside until the fire department gives the OK.
• Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number of the fire department. That way any member of the household can call from a cellular phone or a neighbor's home.
• Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. And once you're out, stay out – leave the firefighting to the professionals!
• If you live in an apartment building, make sure that you're familiar with the building's evacuation plan. In case of a fire, use the stairs, never the elevator.
• Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family's fire escape plan. When visiting other people's homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don't have a plan in place, offer to help them make one.

 Empty ashtrays often, wetting the contents before dumping them. Never smoke in bed or while drinking alcohol or while you are on medication that could make you drowsy or disoriented. 

Give Space Heaters Space: Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter) from everything --- including you. Just brushing against one could set your clothing on fire. 

Install Smoke Detectors: Be sure to have smoke detectors outside or in all sleeping areas, and on every level of your home, including the basement. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries once a year or when the detector is "chirping" to indicate that the battery is low. If you sleep in a room with the doors closed, install a smoke detector inside the room as well. If you are hearing impaired, use tested
and approved smoke detectors that trigger a strobe light. 

PLAN YOUR ESCAPE 

Know Two Ways Out: Plan two escape routes from every room in your home. 

Know How to Unlock Doors and Windows: Windows should open easily and fully, to allow escape. All security-barred windows and doors needed for escape should be equipped with quick-release devices that every household member can operate. 

Know All Building Exits: If you live in an apartment building, count the number of doorways between your apartment and the two nearest exits. 

No matter where you live, be familiar with all exits, including windows. If you have trouble with stairs, it may be best to sleep on the first floor. 

IF YOU ARE TRAPPED 

Remain calm. Close all doors between you and the smoke. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell the dispatcher where you are trapped. Call the fire department even if you can see fire trucks through your window. Stuff rags, towels, or clothing in the cracks around doors to keep smoke out. Wait at a window; signal the fire fighters by waving a light colored cloth or flashlight and wait to be rescued. 

IF FIRE STRIKES... 

Test Doors Before You Open Them: Kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob, and then space between the door and its frame with back of your hand. If the door is cool, open it cautiously and continue along your escape route. If it is hot keep the door closed and seek an alternative escape route
or stay in your room. 

Crawl Low Under Smoke: If you must exit through smoke, crouch or crawl. Heat and smoke rise; cleaner air will be 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) above the floor. 

Get Out and Stay Out: Leave the building as quickly as you can. Call the fire department from a neighbor's phone. Do not go back into the building for any reason. 

Stop, Drop, and Roll: If your clothing catches fire, stop where you are; drop gently to the floor or ground, cover your face with your hands to protect your face from flames, and roll over and over to smother the flames. If you cannot drop to the floor smother the flames with a blanket or towel. 

Smother a Grease Fire: If a pan of food catches fire, using a pot holder, carefully slide a lid over it and turn off the burner. 

*Reprinted from the NFPA pamphlet "Fire Safety Tips for Older Adults"