F i re Safety
WARNING: Please read carefully and thoroughly.
•NFPA Standard 72 states: Life safety from fire in residential occupancies is based primarily on early notification to occupants of the need to escape, followed by the appropriate egress actions by those occupants. Fire warning systems for dwelling units are capable of protecting about half of the occupants in potentially fatal fires. Victims are often intimate with the fire, too old or young, or physically or mentally impaired such that they cannot escape even when warned early enough that escape should be possible. For these people, other strategies such as
•Smoke alarms are devices that can provide early warning of possible fires at a reasonable cost; however, alarms have sensing limitations. Ionization type alarms offer a broad range of fire sensing capabilities but are better at detecting fast flaming fires than slow smoldering fires. Photoelectric alarms sense smoldering fires better than flaming fires. Home fires develop in different ways and are often unpredictable. Neither type of alarm (photoelectric or ionization) is always best, and a given alarm may not always provide warning of a fire.
•A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the specified type, in good condition and installed properly.
•AC powered alarms (without battery backup) will not operate if the AC power has been cut off, such as by an electrical fire or an open fuse.
•Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure the batteries and the alarm circuits are in good operating condition.
•Smoke alarms cannot provide an alarm if smoke does not reach the alarm. Therefore, smoke alarms may not sense fires starting in chimneys, walls, on roofs, on the other side of a closed door or on a different floor.
F i re Safety
•If the alarm is located outside the bedroom or on a different floor, it may not wake up a sound sleeper.
•The use of alcohol or drugs may also impair one’s ability to hear the smoke alarm. For maximum protection, a smoke alarm should be installed in each sleeping area on every level of a home.
•Although smoke alarms can help save lives by providing an early warning of a fire, they are not a substitute for an insurance policy. Home owners, landlords and tenants should have adequate insurance to protect their lives and property.
Good Safety Habits
Develop and practice a plan of escape!
•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.
•Make a floor plan indicating all doors and windows and at least two (2) escape routes from each room. Second story windows may need an escape ladder.
•Have a family meeting and discuss your escape plan, showing everyone what to do in case of fire.
•Determine a place outside your home where you all can meet if a fire occurs.
•Familiarize everyone with the sound of the smoke alarm and train them to leave your home when they hear it.
•Practice a fire drill at least every six months, including fire drills at night. Ensure that small children hear the alarm and wake when it sounds. They must wake up in order to execute the escape plan. Practice allows all occupants to test your plan before an emergency. You may not be able to reach your children. It is important they know what to do.
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