Protecting and Preparing Your Home for a Fire. sun is shining bright and wisps of clouds fill the sky. You take in a deep breath of fresh air,

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Reynard Gibson
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1 Gwyneth Thomas Vonderahe Fire Safety Scholarship 24 April, 2017 Protecting and Preparing Your Home for a Fire You are outside lounging in a deck chair enjoying the hot summer afternoon. The sun is shining bright and wisps of clouds fill the sky. You take in a deep breath of fresh air, but the air is no longer filled with the sweet smell of flowers. Instead, a putrid smell fills your nose. Scanning your backyard you see nothing, but black smoke is quickly rising into the sky, becoming a giant black cloud. Jumping out of the deck chair, you sprint off the deck. When you reach the front of your house you realize that it is not your home on fire, but the house across the street. Smoke billows out of the windows into the already blackened sky, as fire consumes the house. Dialing 911, your first thought is for your neighbors who live inside the house. You run over to it, but the heat emanating is excruciatingly hot, only allowing you within 100 feet of the burning house. Sirens can be heard down the street, help is coming. The flames roar as blackened smoke continues to fill the sky. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles soon swarm the street. Thankfully, they are able to quickly put the fire out, but the house is reduced to rubble, ashes, and smoldering wood. Fortunately, the family was not home at the time. As you stare at the remains of the once-beautiful house, breathe in the putrid smell, and gaze up at the blackened sky you realize the vital importance of fire safety.

2 Fire safety is a very important issue for everyone. Statistics by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that in 2015, 365,500 fires were reported in the U.S, with 2,650 civilian deaths, and 11,075 civilian injuries. Statistics also show that in 2016, there were 64 fire-related deaths in Kentucky. In order to stay safe during a fire and prevent casualties and injuries, a few things are important to know: how to prevent and prepare your home for a fire and what to do if a fire were to start. Preparing your home for a fire is crucial. Start by installing the proper amount of smoke alarms throughout your house. To ensure that they can always be relied on, replace the batteries at least once a year. In case of a fire, fire extinguishers can be helpful, but only those familiar with the maintenance and operation of fire extinguishers should use them in an emergency. While it is important to prepare your house for a fire, preparing others is necessary as well. It is very important to ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room in your home, and that outside a family meeting point is decided upon. It is vital to develop good habits when it comes to fire safety. Never leave a burning candle unattended and keep flammable items away from potential fire starters. If you smoke, take caution! Smoking is one of the leading causes of house fires. Most house fires emanate from appliances and equipment, things such as: cooking appliances, washing machines, air conditioners, fans, and more. In order to make sure none of your common household appliances are potential fire hazards, the first things to inspect are cords and plugs. There is a common phrase out of sight, out of mind meaning when things aren t visible we forget about them. Well, power cords pinched behind sofas, bent around furniture, or stuffed under the carpet may be out of sight, but the potential risk of a fire should never be out of mind. Keep cords away from moisture, and check to be sure

3 that there is enough room behind sofas, beds, or desks to ensure that there is nothing pushing on a plug. Pets can also damage cords by chewing, so make sure they are out of reach. The second fire-starting culprits are appliances. It is imperative that all appliances are registered. Monitoring them while in use is very important too. It may be more convenient to run them at night or during the day when you are out, but appliances fail frequently. It is much safer to monitor them while they are in use. If you are home and awake when an issue occurs, it is easy to disconnect from power, call for maintenance, and ensure everything is safe. The third culprits are cooking stoves and ovens. Fires related to cooking appliances are most often caused by the user and not by a mechanical problem with the appliance itself. Never leave a stove or oven unattended while in use. It is very easy for fires to start in these appliances, since average temperatures can reach up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius. If you take these steps, you decrease the odds of a fire, but there s always a chance that one may occur. It is absolutely imperative to know what to do if one does. Gail McGovern, CEO of the Red Cross, states, Most people think they have more than five minutes to get out of a house, but in actuality they only have less than two. Two minutes isn t much time at all, which is why it is necessary to insure that all household members are well versed in ways to escape the building. Time is of the essence, and as tempting as it may be, do not delay to collect valuables, or even look for pets. This wastes precious time. If you are escaping a room with a door, feel it first with the backs of your hands. If it is warm do not open it, as the fire is on the other side! If this occurs, look for an alternate route out of the room. Smoke is another major problem when it comes to fires. Fifty-one percent of fire related deaths are the result of smoke inhalation. Smoke is made of

4 components that are deadly on their own. The most common toxic gas produced from smoke is carbon monoxide. This gas can be deadly even in small quantities, as it replaces oxygen in the blood stream. As a fire grows inside a building, it will often consume most of the available oxygen, slowing the burning process. This incomplete combustion results in toxic gases. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) If there is smoke, crawl on the floor where the air is cleaner to prevent inhalation of toxic substances. If your clothes catch on fire it is important not to panic. Panicking can endanger not only yourself, but others around you. After you have calmed, lay down, since flames travel upwards. By laying down, you reduce the risk of flames reaching your face and head. Try to roll around to put it out. Once you have made it out of the building, go to the agreed-upon meeting spot and call 911, giving them a detailed description so that they can best help you. The emergency vehicles will be there immediately. Remember, GET OUT and STAY OUT! Once you have made it out of a home or building that is on fire never go back inside. If there is someone still inside, wait for the Fire and Rescue Services to get them out. While the number of fires and fire related deaths has declined in recent years, fire safety should always be a top priority in our communities. Only one in five people keep up on fire safety measures and practice safety drills. I have to admit that my family is included in that 80% who do not keep up on the recommended safety procedures. After doing research on the topic of fire safety, however, I have come to realize how important fire safety is. I will talk to my parents and sibling and request that we practice the safety measures to keep us safe in the case of a fire. The death toll resulting from fires would be much greater if not for the amazing teams of people who respond to fires. I can not thank

5 them enough for the vital work they do for communities across the United States. As Charles M. Hayes once said, Safety first is safety always.

6 Works Cited The Consequences of Fire. Web. 17 Apr "Fatal Effects of Fire." NFPA Report - Fatal Effects of Fire. Web. 21 Apr "Home Fire Preparedness." American Red Cross. Web. 17 Apr "Home Fire Safety." American Red Cross. Web. 17 Apr "Home Fires." Home Fires Ready.gov. Web. 17 Apr "Home Fires." NFPA Statistics - Home Fires. Web. 17 Apr "Kentucky Fire Loss/fire Department Profile." U.S. Fire Administration. Web. 17 Apr Piro, Lauren. "How Long Do You Have to Escape a House Fire?" Good Housekeeping. 17 Mar Web. 17 Apr "What To Do If There's A Fire." What To Do If There's A Fire Humberside Fire & Rescue Service. Web. 17 Apr

PLAN NOW!! Plan your escape today Your life may depend on it tomorrow HOME ESCAPE PLAN EXERCISE

PLAN NOW!! Plan your escape today Your life may depend on it tomorrow HOME ESCAPE PLAN EXERCISE PLAN NOW!! FAMILY ACTIVITY HOME ESCAPE PLAN EXERCISE Anyone who has lived through a fire will tell you how terrifying it is. Sadly, sometimes people don t live to talk about it. We know, because we see