"Nearly
4,000 people die each year in fires at home."
Fending
off Fire: Simple preventive procedures can
protect home owners from risk of fire.
Below
are some safety tips that can help protect you
and your home:
Install
smoke detectors on every level of your
home, especially outside sleeping areas.
Test smoke detectors once a month and
change the batteries twice a year. Make
sure children know the sound of the alarm
and what to do if it goes off.
Keep
a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, near
the furnace or other area where fires are
likely to start. Extinguishers should be
in these general areas, not directly next
to a stove or furnace because fire would
consume the extinguisher before it could
be reached for use. Make sure family
members know how to use them.
Keep
matches, lighters and candles out of the
reach of children. Make sure all fires
(candles, cigarettes, etc.) are properly
extinguished.
Make
sure electrical systems are not overtaxed
and that wires are not worn or exposed.
Have
an escape plan and a designated meting
place outside, and practice that escape
plan periodically. Make sure all children
know how to crawl underneath the smoke and
understand the stop, drop and roll
procedure.
Check
for outlets that have loose-fitting plugs,
which can overheat and lead to fire.
Never
force a plug into an outlet if it
doesn’t fit. Plugs should fit securely
into outlets.
Avoid
overloading outlets with too many
appliances.
Ensure
there are safety covers on all unused
outlets that are accessible to children.
Ensure
that all power cords and extension cords
are in good condition, not frayed or
cracked.
Do
not place cords in high-traffic areas or
under carpets, rugs or furniture.
Check
the wattage of all bulbs in lamps and
light fixtures to ensure they are the
correct wattage for the lamps or fixtures.
Circuit
breakers and fuses should be the correct
sizes and ratings for their circuits.
Always
replace a fuse with the same size fuse.
Of
course, these recommendations should be
followed all year round, not just during the
spring and summer months when fires are most
prevalent. In addition, home owners and
renters should take careful inventories of
their dwellings and videotape valuable
possessions, if possible, so that, in the
unfortunate event that a fire does occur, they
will be able to report exactly what has been
lost to the police, the Internal Revenue
Service and their independent insurance agent.
