Candle Safety

Home Safety Council Asks Families to Light and Delight Safely by Practicing Proper Candle Safety.

Candles can provide a warm and festive atmosphere - but they can also be a fire hazard if left unattended or placed near anything flammable. The Home Safety Council encourages families to enjoy the warm and inviting atmosphere of candles while always keeping fire safety in mind:

• Never leave burning candles unattended. Extinguish all candles before going to sleep or leaving the room.

• Do not permit children to keep or use candles or incense in their rooms. Candles should only be used when a sober adult is present and awake.
  
• Never use lighted candles on or near a Christmas tree or other evergreens.
  
• Keep candles at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including other decorations and wrapping paper.
  
• Always use stable, nonflammable candle holders.
  
• Place candles where they will not be knocked down or blown over and out of reach of pets and young children.
  
• Always keep burning candles up high, out of the reach of children. If you have children in your home, store candles, matches and lighters out of their sight and reach.

Firefighter Safety

"After a firefighter is killed or injured, people outside the fire service often question why firefighters must go inside burning buildings to extinguish fires. There are several reasons why firefighters enter burning buildings, the most important of which is saving lives."

Reasons for Interior Firefighting

"During the first few minutes of a hose line attack inside a smoke filled building, unconscious men, women, and children are tripped over, stumbled upon, bumped into, crawled over, and rescued by firefighters. These victims would die if firefighters fought fires—more safely—from outside burning buildings. Many lives are saved accidentally during interior firefighting. Most fire victims are discovered by chance, when firefighters are performing routine firefighting tactics, such as searching for the fire origin, advancing a hose line, and venting windows from inside a building. Each year 6,000 to 8,000 people die in fires."

"Another reason why firefighters attack fires with portable extinguishers and hand-held hose streams inside burning buildings is because it is safer to attack a fire while it is still manageable. If a fire is allowed to grow and spread outside a building, the dangers to firefighters actually increase. When fires spread outside buildings, brick walls collapse, explosions—caused by flammable gases and liquids used for cooking and heating—occur, and nearby high-voltage wires burn and fall from utility poles."

Injuries During Interior Firefighting

"Each year 100,000 firefighters are injured at fires. One of the most dangerous moments on the fireground occurs when a large fire, beyond control of personnel and equipment on the scene, has extended outside a burning building and is spreading rapidly to adjoining exposures. At this instant firefighters, attempting to remove people in the path of the fire and to set up initial attack hose streams, are extremely vulnerable to fireground injury."

Interior Firefighting Equipment

"Finally, firefighters go inside burning buildings to attack fires because the equipment they use is designed for interior firefighting. Once flames spread outside a burning building, it is often beyond the capabilities of the firefighters' equipment. Radiant heat spreads fire to nearby buildings. These large fires (conflagrations) are stopped by natural barriers such as rivers and ocean spaces or by man-made barriers such as streets, highways, or solid brick walls. Firefighters move in after the fire spread has been stopped and supervise the controlled burning."

"America's fire service is equipped primarily for interior firefighting. "…small-diameter (six inches or less) water mains, mobile water supply tankers, small-diameter hose, and SCBA are effective during inside firefighting."

Dunn, Vincent. Safety And Survival On The Fireground, Fire Engineering Books & Videos, Saddle Brook, New Jersey, 1992

Exit Drills in the Home (E.D.I.T.H.)

In 1995, 3640 Americans died in home fires. That's roughly 10 people a day. Tens of thousands more were injured. People can survive even major fires in their homes if they are alerted to the fire and get out quickly and stay out.

How to Survive

• Install smoke detectors and keep them in working order.
• Make an escape plan and "practice" it.
• Consider installing an automatic fire-sprinkler system.

Plan Your Escape
Once a fire has started, there is no time to plan how to get out. Sit down with your family today, and make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire.

Draw a floor Plan of your Home, marking two ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household.

Agree on a Meeting Place, where every member of the household will gather outside your home after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is missing or trapped inside the burning building.

Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be the monitor, and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully.

Make Your Exit Drills Realistic
Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire, and practice alternative escape routes, Pretend that the lights are out and that some escape routes are filling with smoke.

Be Prepared
Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices, and everyone in the household should know how to use them.

If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape. NEVER use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning. Some high-rise buildings may have evacuation plans that require you to stay where you are and wait for the fire department.

If you live in a multi-story house and you must escape from an upper story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground, such as a fire-resistant fire escape ladder. Make special arrangements for children, older adults and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and , if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.

Test doors before opening them.
While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and with the back of your hand touch the door, the knob, and the crack between the door and its frame. If you feel any warmth at all, use another escape route. If the door feels cool, open it with caution. Put your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. Be prepared to slam it shut if there is smoke or flames on the other side.

If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a light colored cloth. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and report exactly where you are.

GET OUT FAST . . .
In case of a fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place, and then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone, a portable phone, or an alarm box. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department.

Crawl low under smoke.
Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. During a fire, cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when using your primary exit, use an alternative escape route. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 - 60 centimeters) above the floor.

. . . and stay out
Once you are out of your home, don't go back for any reason. If people are trapped, the firefighters have the best chance of rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering. Firefighters have the training, experience, and protective equipment needed to enter burning buildings.

Play it Safe
Smoke Detectors. More than half of all fatal home fires happen at night while people are asleep. Smoke detectors sound an alarm when a fire starts, waking people before they are trapped or overcome by smoke. With smoke detectors, your risk of dying in a home fire is cut nearly in half. Install smoke detectors outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home, including the basement. Follow installation instructions carefully, and test smoke detectors monthly. Change all smoke detector batteries at least once a year. If your detector is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new one.

Automatic fire-sprinkler systems.
These systems attack a fire in its early stages by spraying water only on the area where the fire has begun. Consider including sprinkler systems in plans for new construction and installing them in existing homes.

Now, use what you've learned,

• Set up Your Plan, including two ways out, a meeting place

• Conduct a Practice Drill to determine if anything has been overlooked.

• Everyone in the household Needs to Participate for it to be successful.

• It may SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Renter's Insurance

Ask yourself this: If all your clothes, the appliances you own, your TV, stereo, jewelry, computer and that collection of Batman Detective comics were destroyed in a fire, could you replace them, immediately, out of pocket? If you said no, you need renter's insurance.

You may be surprised to learn that renter's insurance is not that expensive. The only thing you're insuring is the contents of your apartment, so your premiums can be as little as $100 per year.  You can lower that cost even further by getting a policy with roommates, increasing your deductible or having multiple policies with the same carrier (renter's and auto insurance, for example). It's certainly cheaper than replacing all your possessions after a disaster.

Renter's insurance provides the security of knowing that if you lost everything today, you wouldn't be forced to start from scratch. Renter's insurance can even cover you for personal possessions that don't happen to be in the apartment at the time of the loss. If that friendly tour guide in Milan happens to find his way back to your hotel and makes off with a suitcase full of your stuff, you don't have to just suffer the loss.

Of course, you can always count on part of your landlord's policy, right? Well, not quite. Many renters are under the impression that their landlord's policy covers their belongings as well. Unfortunately that's not the case, and they often don't find that out until the worst possible time, after a disaster or a robbery. Your landlord's policy doesn't cover anything that's yours. The only exception to this would be if the loss was caused by negligence on the part of your landlord, and then you would still have to prove it in court.

Electrical Safety

American homes are filled with electrical appliances and tools that enhance our lives with convenience, comfort, and entertainment. But the power that drives these important devices can be a source of pain and tragedy if it is misused.

These guidelines from the Home Safety Council will help you spot electrical problems which may be present in your home and take appropriate action to correct or remove dangers. For continuous safety, give your home periodic checkups to be sure that no new hazards develop.

• Every home should have the protection of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) in bathrooms and kitchens and arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) in bedrooms. Contact a professional electrician to ensure your home is adequately protected.

• Check your GFCI monthly to determine that it is operating properly. Units can be checked by pressing the "TEST "button; the GFCI should disconnect the power to that outlet. Pressing the "RESET "button reconnects the power. If the GFCI does not disconnect the power, get assistance from a professional electrician.
  
• If young children are in your home, use child-safety caps on wall outlets.
  
• All electrical appliances, cords and fixtures in your home should be listed by an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
  
• Never use worn, frayed or otherwise damaged cords or appliances.
  
• Follow the appliance manufacturer’s recommendation for plugging into electrical power. Extension cords should only be used temporarily.
  
• Always use the appropriate light bulb wattage for the size of the fixture. The safe maximum wattage is posted in or on the fixture.
  
• Keep all electrically-powered appliances and equipment dry and away from places where water is used.
  
• Unplug all small kitchen appliances, hair dryers, curling irons, electric blankets and other small household appliances when not in use.
  
• Keep electrical cords out of traffic areas and away from furniture that may cause pressure. Do not place cords under rugs or carpets, which can cause overheating.
  
• Check that cords are in good condition and not knotted or coiled. Do not attach extension cords to baseboards or walls with nails or staples.
  
• Check the electrical rating on appliance cords and extension cords and make sure they are carrying no more than their proper loads.
  
• If you need to use extension cords outside, only use those specifically marked for outdoor use.
  
• Never leave the faceplates off of outlets or switches.
  
• Outdoor outlets should have waterproof covers.
  

Smoking Hazards

Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. Roughly one of every four fire deaths in 2001 was attributed to smoking materials.

Facts & figures

• In 2001, there were an estimated 31,200 smoking-material fires in structures, 830 civilian deaths, 1,770 civilian injuries and $386 million in property damage. Of the fire deaths, 770 occurred in the home.
  
• In Canada there were 3,800 fires in 1999 associated with smoking materials. These fires caused 120 civilian deaths, 260 civilian injuries and direct property damage of $58 million Canadian ($39 million U.S.).
  
• The most common material first ignited in home smoking material-related fires was trash, followed by mattresses and bedding and upholstered furniture.

Source: NFPA's The Smoking-Material Fire Problem, November 2004, by John R. Hall, Jr.

Safety tips

• Encourage smokers to smoke outside.
  
• Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn (i.e., mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, draperies, etc.).
  
• Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy, intoxicated or medicated.
  
• Use large, deep, non-tip ashtrays to prevent ashes from spilling onto furniture and check them frequently. Do not rest ashtrays on sofas or chairs.
  
• Completely douse butts and ashes with water before throwing them away as they can smolder in the trash and cause a fire.
  
• Smoking should not be allowed in a home where oxygen is in use.
  
• Whenever someone has been smoking in the home, always check on, between and under upholstery and cushions and inside trash cans for butts that may be smoldering.
  
• When smokers visit your home, ask them to keep smoking materials, lighters and matches with them so young children do not touch them.
  
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of children's sight and reach (preferably in a locked cabinet).
  
• If you smoke, choose fire-safe cigarettes. They are less likely to cause fires.

Fire Extinguishers

If you were suddenly exposed to a fire, how well do you think you'd do utilizing the nearest fire extinguisher?  If you're like most people, then you probably wouldn't do very well.  Only people trained in the proper use of fire extinguishers should attempt to use them to extinguish a fire.  If you haven't received hands-on training, or the fire is too large, get out Immediately, and dial 9-1-1.  Please visit this website to familiarize yourself with the various extinguishers and their basic use.

Stop, Drop, & Roll

Each year more than 15,000 people are seriously burned when their clothes catch on fire.  Burns are among the most painful of injuries and the third leading cause of unintentional death in the United States.  The hands, groin, face, and lungs are at particular risk and are easily injured.  The healing process is slow and painful resulting in enormous personal suffering.

“STOP, DROP, and ROLL” is a highly recommended tactic if your clothes catch on fire.  When a person’s clothes catch fire, they may instinctively attempt to run for help.  Running may actually “fan” the clothes that are on fire and cause them to burn at a higher rate.  The act of running can actually increase the risk of a burn to a person whose clothes are on fire.

By stopping, dropping to the ground, and rolling, the clothes that are on fire may actually be smothered or burn at a lesser rate.  Although there are no guarantees that burns will not occur, this tactic may help a person survive a clothing fire with less severe burns and have a better chance at survival without major injury.

Remember, the principles of “STOP, DROP, and ROLL” are simple:

STOP – do not run if your clothes catch on fire.

DROP – to the ground and cover your face.

ROLL – continue to roll to smother the fire.

If you are near someone whose clothing catches on fire, be sure to stop him or her from running and make them “STOP, DROP, and ROLL.”

Once the fire is out call 9-1-1; if someone is nearby while you are assisting ask them to make the call.

Cool a burn with water.