Fire Protection | Some Precautions and Plans

Whether you know everything there is to know about fire protection or your base of knowledge isn’t that expansive reading this article still won’t hurt. Since it’s our duty to inform you our dear readers of various topics, we feel obligated like always to make sure we’re doing our jobs properly. There are not many topics out there that are important as this one so here are some things you’ll want to know both in the way of precaution and reaction to a fire safety situation.

The following is some information from the National Fire Protection Association:

The year 2003 saw 80% of United States fires taking place in a home. This unfortunate occurrence led to 3,925 deaths in total. Statistics also show that every 134 minutes a home fire claims the life of an individual. In Canada fatal injuries happen almost every 31 hours. Almost fifty percent of fire related deaths in the home in the United States result from fires that are reported between 10am and 6pm. By and large smoking is one the top cause of home fire deaths but from December-February heating equipment wasn’t too far behind in this statistic. Another frightening statistic uncovered by the NFPA is in regards to fire responses. Every 20 seconds a fire department responds to a fire at some point in the United States.

Keeping this in mind here are some tips we can give you to make a safe exit plan in the event that fire protection doesn’t work out and your house is victim to flame. Here’s what we can tell you to do in the event that you must flee your home:

• It’s essential you create a floor plan of your house, this plan must detail at minimum of two exits in each of the rooms.

• Make sure that when you sleep your bedroom door remains closed. If a fire occurs it will help keep excess heat and smoke away. Do not use the door as a means of escape if it’s hot find a way out through your window if possible.

• Escape ladders are available through many different vendors and retail areas. You can buy these items at prices starting at around the $90 range.

• Set up a meeting point outside of your home where fellow occupants will meet for accountability purposes.

• Always be sure that you stay with your group and as far away from the fire as possible. Dial 911 from another place and ensure that no one acts brave and rushes back into the building.

• Look through hallways and stair cases to prevent any trip hazards from being in the area. This could prove to be fatal if corrective action is not taken.

Always make sure that areas such as basements, attics, garages and closets don’t have items that can cause a fire. This is probably one of the most basic and vital means for fire protection.
In closing, we can’t stress the point enough that fire protection is essential but it’s also important to know how to protect you in the event that a fire actually does occur. With these guidelines we’re sure that the cooler head will prevail even in the hottest of situations.