Fire & Life Safety Education
Fire is a good tool but sometimes it can move out of our control and begin damaging property and injuring people. We often think of fire as pleasant, warm and useful…and it usually is. But, when it is out of control, fire and smoke are hot, dark, poisonous, and move quickly! It is important to know what to do when fire is beyond your control or causing injury.
Fire Drills
Make a plan to get out of your home, school, and workplace. Practice your plan twice each year. For more on fire drill plans, see Planning a Home Fire Drill
Home Fire Sprinklers
Home fire sprinklers save lives. Eight out of ten fire deaths in the U.S. occur in the home. If you have a fire in the home, the risk of dying is cut by about 80 percent with automatic fire sprinklers. For more information on home fire sprinklers, see Home Fire Sprinklers
Smoke Alarms
Dual sensor smoke alarms installed on every floor and in every bedroom, interconnected so that when one sounds they all sound, provides your family with the earliest notice of a fire. For more see Smoke Alarms
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon monoxide is a clear, odorless and very poisonous gas that is released during combustion. Having a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home can save a life. For more see Carbon monoxide Alarms
Stop, Drop, and Roll
If your clothes catch fire, STOP immediately,
DROP (to the ground, cover your face with hands), and
ROLL (over and over or back and forth) to put out the fire!!
Burns
Prevent scalds and burns in the kitchen.
- Teach children that hot things burn.
- Place objects so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.
- Turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge.
- Keep appliance cords coiled and away from counter edges.
- Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges.
- Use dry oven mitts or potholders. The heat from hot cookware or tableware could turn that moisture into a scald burn.
- If you have young children in the home cook on the stove back burners.
- When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely.
Hot tap water and scald burns
- Consider installing “anti-scald” devices on tub faucets and shower heads to prevent scalds. The temperature should not exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Or, adjust the thermostat setting on your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower temperature lowers the risk of scalds and burns, but it also increases the risk of Legionnaire’s disease.
- If you wish to lower the temperature setting on your water heater, you will need to test the temperature at the faucet. Allow water to run 3 to 5 minutes. Test the water with a meat, candy, or cooking thermometer. If the water is hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, adjust the temperature of the water heater and wait a full day to allow the temperature in the tank to adjust. Retest and adjust as needed.
- Before placing a child in the bath or getting into the tub yourself, test the water with your elbow, forearm and back of the hand where you are more sensitive to heat.
Treatment of burns
- Treat a burn right away, putting it in cool water. Cool the burn for three to five minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Do not apply creams, ointments, sprays or other home remedies.
- If the burn is bigger than the injured person’s palm, or if there are questions, get medical help right away.
- Remove all clothing, diapers, jewelry and metal from the burned area. These can hide underlying burns and retain heat thereby increasing skin damage.
- Seek medical attention by calling 9-1-1 or seeing your doctor if the burn is
—on the face, hands, feet, major joints or genital area.
— white, tight, dry (leathery) or painless.
— caused by chemicals or electricity.
— not healing in 2 to 3 days, becomes foul smelling, develops thick drainage, redness or swelling around the burn, or causes a fever.
Fire Extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers have limits. Learn and practice how to use fire extinguishers before a fire occurs.