FIRE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Making and Keeping Your Home Safe From Fire

 PLANNING AHEAD IS ESSENTIAL

 The best time to think about what you would do in the event of a fire is befor you need to react to one.  Take a good look at each room in your home.  Can you find at least two ways out?  Ask your family, friends and any social service agencies you receive assistance from to help you develop a home escape plan.  The Fire Prevention Division can also help with planning by helping you find the best way(s) out of your home in a emergency.

 If you live in an apartment or other communal-living building, check with your landlord or building management for assistance in locating fire alarm pull boxes, fire extinguishers, fire escape routes out of the building.  Never use the elevators in a fire - always use the stairs, a ramp, or wait for firefighters to arrive and signal them from your window.  If your disability allows you to exit through a window, make sure that it opens easily and that you know how to open it. 

 Try to live near an exit, preferably on the ground floor of the building.  This cuts the time required to escape in the event of a fire and makes it easier for rescuers to reach you.  Always be sure to have a telephone near your bed to call for assistance if necessary.  Dial 9-1-1, tell the dispatcher where you are and that you need assistance in exiting the building.

COMMON FIRE HAZARDS

 The number one cause of fatal home fires is careless use of smoking materials.  Never smoke in bed or in your favorite comfortable chair where you might become drowsy and drift into sleep with a lit cigarette.  Ashes can also drop into the upholstery or mattress and smolder for hours until flaring up into a full-fledged fire.  It only takes three (3) minutes for an average-sized room to go from a small fire in a chair to a raging fire where everything in the room is burning.

 Another leading cause of home fires is careless cooking.  Always be sure to keep track of what you are cooking - food can overheat and begin to burn very quickly.  Hot oil is always a danger, because it can ignite and because it can burn if it splatters.  While cooking, wear close-fitting sleevcs or short sleeves.  Longer, draping sleeves can be ignited by the burner.  Don’t store things like the salt shaker, spices, or other often-used items above the stove where you would have to lean into the burners to get to them.  Towels and potholders should be kept away from the heat at all times.  Use them only after the burners are turned off.

 Other sources of fire include space heaters that are not properly maintained, wires running under rugs, matches or lighters left near children, and candles.

FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

 Working smoke detectors are your best defense against fire.  They givc that extra minute or two that can make the difference in escaping a fire.  You should have a minimum of one detector on each level, with one outside your bedroom door.  Test your detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.  If your home has a fire alarm system, check with the monitoring company for test procedures.  All smoke detectors should be kept clean by gently vacuuming around them to keep dust and cobwebs out.

 The Fire Prevention Division recommends and ABC Multi-Purpose fire extinguisher for most homes.  This type of extinguisher can be used on all types of fires.  For further information on fire extinguishers and how to use them, please refer to our “Portable Fire Extinguisher” brochure.

 Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are another protection device that can alert you to the presence of carbon monoxide in your home.  Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that results from combustion-the process of a fuel burning.  Heaters, fireplaces, and stoves are some sources of CO. Remember that CO detectors do not alert you to the presence of fire the way that smoke detectors do.

 In the Event of a Fire Get Out and Stay Out. 

Exit the home as quickly as you can and don’t go back in for anything.  Dial 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s home or pay phone.  If you suspect anyone is trapped, notify the dispatcher and arriving firefighters- never try to reach someone without the proper equipment and training.

 Crawl Low Under Smoke.

The air near the floor will be fresher and cooler since heat and smoke rise.  If your disability will allow you, get down on your hands and knees and crawl to the nearest exit.

 Test Any Doors Before Opening Them.

When you come to a closed door, stop and feel it as high as you can reach from the floor level.  If the door is hot, do not attempt to exit through it. Try your alternate escape route.  If it is cool, open it slowly and be prepared to shut it if smoke should enter.

 If You Are Trapped, Wait for Help.

Close all doors between you and the fire and stuff the cracks around doors and vents to keep smoke out.  Dial 9-1-1 and tell the dispatcher you are trapped.  Wait by a window and signal firefighters by waving a cloth.  Never try to exit through fire and/or smoke.

 STOP, DROP AND ROLL.

If your clothing catches fire, don’t run.  Stop, cover your face with your hands, drop to the ground and roll over and over to smother the flames.