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Fire Safety
Fire Safety Tips
Sebring Fire department goal is to keep you safe and be there when you need us. Provided on this page are some helpful hints and tips that we would like to share with you. Please take a moment and review this information.
SMOKE ALARMS
- Have a working smoke alarm outside each sleeping area, inside each sleeping area, and on each level of your home.
- Test smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Do not change the battery if you have a lithium battery. The alarm will let out a periodic "chirping" sound when it needs a new battery.
- Install smoke alarms away from air vents.
- Install smoke alarms on the ceiling or wall, at least 4 inches from the corners.
- When affixed to walls, smoke alarms should be between 4 and 12 inches from the ceiling.
- Never disable or remove smoke alarm batteries.
ESCAPE PLANNING
- Develop a fire escape plan with the members of your household and practice often.
- Know two ways to exit from every room in your home.
- Make sure that safety bars on windows can be opened from inside your home.
- Crawl low, under smoke.
- Feel closed doors. If hot, use another exit.
- Identify a place to meet outside in case of fire. Never re-enter a burning building.
- Escape first. Then call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.
FIRE SAFETY
- Keep clothes, blankets, curtains and other combustibles at least three feet from portable heaters.
- Place portable heaters where they will not tip over easily..
- Clear the area around the hearth of debris, flammables and decorative materials.
- Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces and leave glass doors open while burning a fire..
- Never leave cooking unattended.
- Be sure your stove and small appliances are off before going to bed.
- Check for frayed wires and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.
- Never overload electrical sockets.
- Keep lighters and matches out of the reach of children.
- Never leave cigarettes unattended.
- Never smoke in bed.
Fire Safety Facts For
People 50–Plus
The Statistics We Need to Change
- People between 65 and 74 are nearly twice as likely to
die in a home fire as the rest of the population.
- People between 75 and 84 are nearly four times as
likely to die in a fire.
- People ages 85 and older are more than five times as
likely to die in a fire.
Each year, approximately
1,100 Americans 65 and older die in home fires and another 3,000 are injured.
These statistics, combined with the fact that adults ages 50 or more care for
and will soon enter this high-risk group, inspired the United States Fire
Administration (USFA) to develop a new public education campaign targeting
people ages 50-plus, their families and caregivers.
The People 50–Plus Campaign Strategy
A Fire Safety Campaign for People 50-Plus encourages people ages 50 and older - including
the high risk 65-plus group - to practice fire-safe behaviors to reduce fire
deaths and injuries. The strategy is to inform and motivate adults as they
enter their fifties so that stronger fire safety and prevention practices are
integrated into their lives prior to entering the higher fire-risk decades. In
addition, many Baby Boomers are currently caring for family members ages
65-plus and can encourage fire safe habits. With a few simple steps, older people
can dramatically reduce their risk of death and injury from fire. USFA and
Dallas Fire-Rescue encourages you to:
Prevent Fire. Save Lives.
For
your well-being and others you love:
Practice fire-safe
behaviors when smoking, cooking and heating. Maintain smoke alarms, develop and
practice a fire escape plan, and if possible, install home fire sprinklers.
Smoke Safely
Sitting in your favorite
chair and having a cigarette after dinner seems to some like a great way to
relax - but cigarettes and relaxing can be a deadly mix. Falling asleep while
smoking can ignite clothing, rugs and other materials used in upholstered
furniture. Using alcohol and medications that make you sleepy compound this
hazard. Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths and the second
leading cause of injuries among people ages 65 and older. Cigarettes when not properly extinguished
continue to burn. When a resting cigarette is accidentally knocked over, it can
smolder for hours before a flare-up occurs. Before you light your next
cigarette, remember:
- Never smoke in bed.
- Put your cigarette or cigar out at the first sign of
feeling drowsy while watching television or reading.
- Use deep ashtrays and put your cigarettes all the way
out.
- Don't walk away from lit cigarettes and other smoking
materials.
Cook Safely
Many families gather in
the kitchen to spend time together, but it can be one of the most hazardous
rooms in the house if you don't practice safe cooking behaviors. Cooking is the
third leading cause of fire deaths and the leading cause of injury among people
ages 65 and older. It's a recipe for serious injury or even death to wear loose
clothing (especially hanging sleeves), walk away from a cooking pot on the
stove, or leave flammable materials, such as potholders or paper towels, around
the stove. Whether you are cooking the family holiday dinner or a snack for the
grandchildren:
- Never leave cooking unattended. A serious fire can
start in just seconds.
- Always wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when you
cook. Keep towels, pot holders and curtains away from flames.
- Never use the range or oven to heat your home.
- Double-check the kitchen before you go to bed or leave
the house.
Heat Your Home Safely
During winter months,
December, January and February, there are more home fires than any other time
of year. Heating devices like space heaters and wood stoves make homes
comfortable, but should be used with extra caution. Heating is the second
leading cause of fire death and the third leading cause of injury to people
ages 65 and older.
Many of these deaths and
injuries could be prevented with safe heating practices. So before you grab a
good book and cozy up to the fireplace, make sure you do the following:
- Keep fire in the fireplace by making sure you have a
screen large enough to catch flying sparks and rolling logs.
- Space heaters need space. Keep flammable materials at
least three feet away from heaters.
- When buying a space heater, look for a control feature
that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over.
The "Get Out Alive" Home Fire Safety Steps
- Smoke Alarms: Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home,
test batteries every month and change them at least once a year.
- Home Fire Escape Plan: Develop and practice a fire escape plan regularly, at
least twice a year. Keep exits clear of debris..
Source: U.S. Fire
Administration, A Fire Safety Campaign for People 50-Plus
For more information,
visit www.usfa.fema.gov.