Smoke
Detectors:
Smoke is responsible for three out of four deaths.
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Install smoke detectors on every
level of your home and outside of sleeping areas.
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Test every detector at least
once a month. [See your instruction book for the location of the test
button.]
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Keep smoke detectors dust free.
Replace batteries with new ones at least once a year, or sooner if the
detector makes a chirping sound.
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If you have a smoke detector
directly wired into your electrical system, be sure that the little signal
light is blinking periodically. This tells you that the alarm is active.
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Inexpensive smoke detectors are
available for the hearing impaired.
Fire
Extinguishers:
They remain your best bet if you're
on the spot when a fire begins.
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Fire extinguishers should be
mounted in the kitchen, garage, and workshop.
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Purchase an ABC type
extinguisher for extinguishing all types of fires.
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Learn how to use your fire
extinguisher before there is an emergency.
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Remember, use an extinguisher on
small fires only. If there is a large fire, get out immediately and call
911 from another location.
Thinking Ahead: Your Exit Plan. . .
As with other things, the best
motto is, "Be Prepared."
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Prepare a floor plan of your
home showing at least two ways out of each room.
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Sleep with your bedroom door
closed. In the event of fire, it helps to hold back heat and smoke. But if
a door feels hot, do not open it; escape through another door or window.
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Easy-to-use window escape
ladders are available through many catalogues and outlet stores. For
instance, First Alert sells one for around $90.
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Agree on a fixed location
out-of-doors where family members are to gather for a head count.
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Stay together away from the
fire. Call 911 from another location. Make certain that no one goes back
inside the burning building.
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Check corridors and stairways to
make sure they are free of obstructions and combustibles.
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To help cut down on the need for
an emergency exit in the first place, clear all unnecessary items from the
attic, basement, garage, and closets.
Fireplace:
Remember, you're deliberately
bringing fire into your home; respect it.
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Use a fireplace screen to
prevent sparks from flying.
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Don't store newspapers,
kindling, or matches near the fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden
floor right in front of the fireplace.
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Have your chimney inspected by a
professional prior to the start of every heating season and cleaned to
remove combustible creosote build-up if necessary.
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Install a chimney spark arrester
to prevent roof fires.
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When lighting a gas fireplace,
strike your match first, then turn on the gas.
Furnace/Space Heaters:
Used improperly, a space heater can
be the most dangerous appliance in your house.
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Install and maintain heating
equipment correctly. Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior
to the start of every heating season .
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Don't store newspapers, rags, or
other combustible materials near a furnace, hot water heater, space
heater, etc.
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Don't leave space heaters
operating when you're not in the room.
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Keep space heaters at least
three feet away from anything that might burn, including the wall.
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Don't use extension cords with
electrical space heaters. The high amount of current they require could
melt the cord and start a fire.
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When lighting a gas space
heater, strike your match first, then turn on the gas.
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Never use a gas range as a
substitute for a furnace or space heater.
Clothes Dryer:
Under some circumstances, dangerous
heat can build up in a dryer.
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Never leave home with the
clothes dryer running.
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Dryers must be vented to the
outside, not into a wall or attic.
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Clean the lint screen frequently
to keep the airway clear.
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Never put in synthetic fabrics,
plastic, rubber, or foam because they retain heat.
Electrical
Hazards:
Electricity, the silent servant,
can become a silent assassin.
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It is better not to use
extension cords. If you feel you must use one, make sure that it is not
frayed or worn. Do not run it under a rug or twist it around a nail or
hook.
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Never overload a socket. In
particular, the use of "octopus" outlets, outlet extensions that
accommodate several plugs, is strongly discouraged.
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Do not use light bulb wattage
which is too high for the fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture
which tells the maximum wattage.
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Check periodically for loose
wall receptacles, loose wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking means
that you've waited too long.
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Allow air space around the TV to
prevent overheating. The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets,
and to powerful lamps.
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If a circuit breaker trips or a
fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on
that line.
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Be sure all electrical equipment
bears the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.
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In many older homes, the
capacity of the wiring system has not kept pace with today's modern
appliances. Overloaded electrical systems invite fire. Watch for these
overload signals: dimming lights when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV
picture, slow heating appliances, or fuses blowing frequently. Call a
qualified electrician to get expert help.
Kitchen:
Careless cooking is the number one
cause of residential fires. Never leave cooking
unattended.
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It's wise to have a fire
extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the
exit side of the kitchen.
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Never pour water on a
grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the
oven door.
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Keep pot handles on the
stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the
kitchen.
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Don't store items on the
stove top, as they could catch fire.
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Keep kitchen appliances
clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when
not in use.
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Don't overload kitchen
electrical outlets and don't use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.
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Wear tight-fitting clothing when
you cook. Here's why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a
temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish
towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe,
apron, or loose sleeve.
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Be sure your stove is not
located under a window in which curtains are hanging.
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Clean the exhaust hood
and duct over the stove regularly. and wipe up spilled grease as soon as
the surface of the stove is cool.
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Operate your microwave only when
there is food in it.
Children and
Grandchildren:
One-fourth of all fire-deaths of
children are from fires started by children.
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Keep lighters and matches out of
the reach of children.
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Never leave children unattended
with fire or space heaters.
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Children are naturally curious
about fire, so keep an eye on them. But if a child repeatedly plays with
fire or seems to have a morbid fascination with fire, seek professional
help at once.
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If youngsters live with you or
stay overnight occasionally, be sure that they know how to escape from
every room and are part of your emergency exit plan. [See "Thinking
Ahead" above]
Gasoline and other
Flammable Liquids:
Those cans aren't painted red just
for the fun of it!
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Flammable liquids should be
stored only in approved safety containers, and the containers should be
kept outside the house and garage in a separate storage shed.
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Gas up lawn equipment and
snowthrowers outside, away from enclosed areas and any source of sparks or
heat.
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Start the equipment 10 feet from
where you filled it with fuel.
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Don't fill a hot lawn mower,
snowthrower, or other motor; let it cool first.
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Never clean floors or do other
general cleaning with gasoline or flammable liquids.
Smoking:
If you actually believe that you're
immune from cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other ills, at least worry
about burning to death.
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Never smoke in bed.
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Don't smoke when you are
drinking or are abnormally tired.
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Use large, deep ashtrays, and
empty them frequently.
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Never dump an ashtray into the
trash without wetting the butts and ashes first.
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