JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
It doesn't matter if it's cold or warm outside; you think there is nothing to worry about. You have seen all the fire prevention videos, you have been through fire extinguisher training, you even know what to look for, and how to try and keep your house safe. You do your best to keep an eye on your kids and you don't smoke. You have done a million things to try and keep your house from going up in flames. Even the most well prepared person can get caught off guard by an unexpected accident.
The most current fire statistics from the Federal Emergency Management Agency show a rapid decline in fire-related incidents across the board. But, even one loss is one too many for the Air Force. In 2009 alone there was an average of 356,000 residential buildings that caught on fire and another 86,000 non-residential buildings that went ablaze. Some fires were caused by natural means, but most were caused unintentional accidents. That means most of these fires could have been avoided, but weren't because of negligence or bad choices.
Here are some fire prevention tips to keep you and your family safe:
Teach safety. A child who is coached properly ahead of time may have a better chance of surviving.
- Children should know the sound of the smoke alarm. When they hear it, teach them to get outside quickly and crawl if there is smoke.
- Touch doors with the back of your hand before opening them. If the door is hot, use an alternate exit.
- Teach children never to go back into a burning building for anything such as a toy or pet and to call the fire department or 911 from a neighbor's home or a cell phone outside.
- Teach children that if their clothes catch on fire, they should immediately stop, drop to the ground and roll themselves back and forth quickly to extinguish the flames.
- Take children to your local fire station for a tour. Children will be able to see a firefighter in full gear and learn that he or she is someone who saves children - not someone to be afraid of or hide from.
- Teach children to never touch or play with matches, candles, gasoline or lighters.
Put a smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom.
- Test smoke alarms every month. Replace batteries twice a year, even if alarms are hardwired.
- Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.
Plan and practice several escape routes and a discuss safe outside meeting places.
- Plan and practice two escape routes out of each room of the house. It is important to have an alternate escape route in case one is blocked by fire.
- Have a designated person to help young children and others who might have difficulty escaping.
- Fire drills should be practiced at least twice a year. Home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during cold-weather months, December through February.
- Practice your escape plan at night to see if your child awakes to the smoke alarms.
- Designate an outside meeting place, so all members of the family can be accounted for quickly.
Check the kitchen for preventable hazards and supervise children at all times in the kitchen.
- Keep children away from cooking and heating appliances. Never leave the kitchen while cooking and never leave a child alone.
- Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stove top.
- Cook with pots and pans on back burners. Turn handles away from the front.
Eliminate other potential hazards.
- Keep matches, lighters, and gasoline locked away and out of children's reach. Keep flammable items such as clothing, furniture, newspapers or magazines at least three feet away from the fireplace, heater or radiator.
- Store all flammable liquids such as gasoline outside of the home.
- Place covers over unused electrical outlets and avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same electrical socket.
- Replace old or frayed electrical wires and appliance cords and keep them on top of, not beneath, rugs.
- Never leave a burning candle unattended. Place candles in a safe location away from combustible materials and where children or pets cannot tip them over.
Trying to keep your house fire safe is an easy task.
Information from the National Fire Protection Association website, www.nfpa.org, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency website, www.fema.gov, contributed to this article.