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Take action to help prevent a fatal fire in your home
Dec 02, 2012

Fires can strike anywhere - in vehicles, buildings and the outdoors. Fires that affect our homes are often the most tragic and the most preventable. Sadly, more than 75 percent of all fire fatalities happen in residential buildings where we live. By studying fire reports like the one I am referencing (Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings 2008-2010, United States Fire Administration) we can learn about fires and take action to be safer in our homes.

Most fatal residential fires occur late at night or in the very early morning hours when most people are sleeping. The eight-hour period between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. accounts for 50 percent of fatalities. Obviously, the most important safety step you can take to combat this timing is to have plenty of working smoke alarms in your home. You must test them monthly to make sure they are working. Change batteries annually or if the units do not work, and change out your smoke alarms every 10 years.

I have heard it many times before - “I am a light sleeper and will wake up if there is a fire.” While I am not trying to start an argument, the fire studies that I review tell me that a person does not wake up from the smell of fire while sleeping (“Scents Will Not Rouse Us From Slumber,” Brown University, May 2004).

It is also vitally important to know what to do when your smoke alarms sound at night and wake you up from a sleep. This isn't a good time to come up with an escape plan, as the drowsiness and the effects of smoke on your body do not allow it to function at peak capacity. Leave firefighting to the trained professionals and focus on escape.

A home filled with smoke is a very dangerous situation. Smoke blocks vision and the toxic gases can cause dizziness, disorientation and tearing in the eyes. Under these conditions, one can easily become lost or trapped in the home. Know two ways out of every room in your home and practice them with your family, in both daytime and night conditions. Have a family meeting place outside and go to it while practicing. This helps ensure long-term retention of the location, even during stressful conditions.

Smoking is the leading cause of residential fires that result in fatalities. Smokers should not smoke in bed or when they are tired, or take medications that can cause them to become tired.

Ashtrays should not be emptied into garbage cans while they still contain hot embers so let them cool down overnight before disposal. Better yet, don't smoke in the house.

Bedrooms are the leading location where civilian fire fatalities occur in residential buildings. This makes sense when we look at when most fires occur. When we make our home escape plans, make sure to take time to carefully consider the two ways out of bedrooms and that everyone is familiar with how to open windows and doors properly.

Making a home escape plan doesn't take much time, and it can be a fun family activity. Draw one up soon, and practice it!

Tom Kiurski is training coordinator for the Livonia F


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IAFF Local 1164
14910 Farmington Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
  7344662444

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