Practice these safety tips for your own safety and that of your family, friends and neighbors.
Install and maintain smoke alarms
Remember to test your detector once a month and change the battery when you change your clock to and from daylight savings time. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, and both inside and outside sleeping areas. In new homes we suggest upgrading to 110v with battery back up interconnected in each bedroom, and in hallways outside bedrooms.
Sleep with bedroom doors closed
Closed doors provide protection against heat and smoke. Even a lightweight hollow-core door delays a fire and toxic smoke. Slowing the spread of fire to sleeping areas gives everyone more time to escape.
Plan and practice two ways out
Fire escape routes must not include elevators, which might take you right to the fire. Choose a meeting place outside where everyone will gather. Once you’re out, stay out! At least twice a year, have the whole family practice the escape plan.
Test doors before you open them
While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob and the space between the door and its frame with the back of our hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution.
Crawl low under smoke
Smoke is dangerous! If you encounter smoke, use an alternate escape route. If you must exit through smoke, the cleaner air will be several inches off the floor. Crawl on your hands and knees to the nearest safe exit.
If you are trapped, close the doors between you and the fire
Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep smoke out. Wait at a window and signal for help with light-colored cloth or a flashlight. If there’s a phone in the room, call the Fire Department and tell them exactly where you are.
Once you’re out, stay out!
If a fire starts, don’t wait for anything. Just get outside. Go to your family’s meeting place. Then someone can call the Fire Department from a neighbor’s phone. Do not go back into your home for any reason, until authorized fire personnel says it’s safe.
Stop, Drop and Roll
Everyone should know this rule: If your clothes catch on fire, don’t run! Stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands to protect your face and lungs, and roll over and over to smother the flames.
Space heaters need space
Keep portable and space heaters at 3 feet (1 meter) from anything that can burn. Never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed and keep children and pets well away from them.
Smokers need watchers
Carelessly discarded cigarettes are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy! Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers and put water on butts before discarding them. Before going to bed, check under and around sofa cushions for smoldering cigarettes.
Be careful cooking
Never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles, and wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook. Keep the handles of your pots turned inward so the pots can’t be knocked or pulled over. If grease catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames, then turn off the burner. Never put foil or other metals in a microwave oven.
Matches and lighters are tools, not toys
In the hands of a child, matches and lighters are deadly. Store them up high where kids can’t reach them, preferably in a locked cabinet. And teach your children from the start that matches and lighters are tools for adults, not toys for kids. If children find matches or lighters, they should tell a grown-up immediately.
Use electricity safely
If an appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it immediately and have it repaired. Replace any electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don’t overload extension cords or run them under rugs. Don’t tamper with the fuse box or use fuses of an improper size.
Cool a burn
If someone gets burned, immediately place the wound in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes. If the burn blisters or chars, see a doctor immediately.
Grilling Safely
There's nothing like outdoor grilling. It's one of the most popular ways to cook food. But, a grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard. They can be very hot, causing burn injuries. Follow these simple tips and you will be on the way to safe grilling. (Tips provided by N.F.P.A.)
Safety Tips
- Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors.
- The grill should be placed well away from the home,deck railings and out from under the eaves and overhang branches.
- Keep children and pets at least three feet away from grill area.
- Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from grills and in trays below the grill.
- Never leave your grill unattended.
- Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
Charcoal Grills
- There are several ways to get the charcoal ready to use. Charcoal chimney starters allow you to start the charcoal using newspaper as a fuel.
- If you use starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire.
- Keep charcoal fluid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources.
- There are also electric charcoal starters, which do not use fire. Be sure to use an extension cord for outdoor use.
- When your finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container.
Propane Grills
- Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year.
- Apply a light soap and water solution to the hose.
- A propane leak will release bubbles
- If your grill has a gas leak, by smell or the soapy bubble test, and there is no flame, turn off the gas tank and grill.
- If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a professional before using it again.
- If the leak does not stop, call the fire department.
- If you smell gas while you are cooking, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department. Do not move the grill.
- If the flame goes out, turn the grill off and gas off and wait at least 15 minutes before re-lighting it.
Facts
- July is the peak month for grill fires.
- Roughly half of the injuries involving grills are thermal burns.
Have a great summer, Grill Safely !!