October: FIRE SAFETY

The National Fire Protection Association has designated October 7 through 13, 2001 as FIRE PROTECTION WEEK.

Making your home safe from fire is very important. We need to know what to do to prevent a fire from happening and what to do in case of an emergency. This activity is something you can do with members of your family, housemates or friends so that you will know what to do if you ever experience a fire in your home.

Materials:

Activity: The first thing you have to do is make sure you know where all the exits are located in your home (for example - Front door, Back door, Windows, etc.). While you are finding all the exits in you home, make sure any objects such as boxes, furniture, newspapers, etc. do not block them. This will make your house safer because it will be easier and faster for you to use the exits to get out of the building.

Review all the exits and what to do if an exit is blocked by fire or smoke. Keep flashlights handy in all rooms. Check the batteries regularly to make sure that they are in good working condition. Flashlights can help you if the emergency occurs at night or a fire makes the electricity go off.

Next, you should ask where the smoke detectors are located in your home. Once a month, a member of your household should check every smoke detector to make sure the batteries are working. You can do this by pushing the test button on the smoke detector. If the batteries are dead, it is important to replace them immediately.

Make sure you have a few fire extinguishers in your house as well. One should be stored in the kitchen and the others should be put around the house in different locations. It is important that everyone living in your house knows where all the fire extinguishers are located. Use all-purpose fire extinguishers so you can extinguish any fire. Never use water on electrical fires.

Now that you have made sure your house is safe from fire, you need to learn what to do if a fire happens anyway. The first thing to do if there is a fire in your home is to make sure EVERYONE leaves the house IMMEDIATELY. Once everyone is safely out of the house, ask someone to call the Fire Department by dialing 911 or pulling the fire alarm. Make sure everyone is a safe distance from the house while you are waiting for the Fire Department to come.

There are also things we can do to avoid fires:

When you are cooking in the kitchen always watch the stove or oven to make sure the flame is not too high and nothing is burning. Do not place any items too close to the burners on the stovetop.

NEVER play with matches or lighters.

Always clear away dust or clutter when you are cleaning because these can cause fires.

Check all the electrical systems in your home to make sure they are working properly and are in good condition. If you are not sure, call an electrician to come and look at your electrical system and fix any problems.

REMEMBER: No one is too old or too young to be reminded of fire and safety tips.

Other web sites you can go to learn more about fire safety are: www.firepreventionweek.org Information for adults and younger people.

www.sparky.org Great for kids!