• Install and maintain fire extinguishers on every level of the home
and in the kitchen, basement and garage. Know how to use a
fire extinguisher prior to an emergency.
• Current studies have shown smoke alarms may not awaken all
sleeping individuals, and that it is the responsibility of individuals
in the household that are capable of assisting others to provide
assistance to those who may not be awakened by the alarm
sound, or to those who may be incapable of safely evacuating
the area unassisted.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ALARM SOUNDS
• Alert small children in the home.
• Leave immediately by your escape plan. Every second counts, so
don’t waste time getting dressed or picking up valuables.
• In leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its
surface. If hot, or if you see smoke seeping through cracks,
don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate exit. If the
inside of the door is cool, place your shoulder against it, open it
slightly and be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.
• Stay close to the floor if the air is smoky. Breathe shallowly
through a cloth, wet if possible.
• Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure
everyone is there.
• Call the fire department from your neighbor’s home - not from
yours!
• Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all
right to do so.
There are situations where a smoke alarm may not be effective to
protect against fire as noted by the NFPA and UL. For instance:
a) smoking in bed
b) leaving children home alone
c) cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasoline
d) fires where the victim is intimate with a flaming initiated fire;
for example, when a person’s clothes catch fire while cooking
e) fires where the smoke is prevented from reaching the
detector due to a closed door or other obstruction
f) incendiary fires where the fire grows so rapidly that an
occupant’s egress is blocked even with properly located
detectors
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