Emergency ABC - Five Fire Facts for Fleeing to Safety

Five Fire Facts for Fleeing to Safety

If you are ever in a burning building, are you certain you would know what to do? You may think the simplest thing to do would be exit the building. There are situations involving fire however that can be difficult to exit. Sometimes doors and windows are blocked or locked. You may not be able to exit the building as you expected. Knowing what to do during a fire and how to exit the building is essential in making sure you get out unharmed. Use these five fire facts for fleeing to safety to ensure you will make it out safely.

Know an Alternate Exit

One of the biggest mistakes you can make it only knowing one way in and out of a building. Anytime you enter a building, you should take note of more than one exit or entrance. You should always know an alternate exit to the location. Sometimes an exit can become blocked or locked during a fire. Most

often elevators are out of service automatically during a fire. If you don't know another route, you may become confused and stuck in the burning building.

When in large buildings, hotels, or schools, you should always become familiar with as many exits as possible. It is a great idea to count the number or doorframes between your hotel room and the exit at each side. Write this number down so that if you need to flee your room into a dark and smoky hallway, you can crawl along the wall and count the doorframes to the exit. You can look at the number in your lit room right before you exit to ensure you know where you are going.

Window Escape

If you become trapped in a building and must exit through the window, do so with caution. If you are exiting through a low window, there should be no problem. However, if the window is on the second story or above, you will need assistance. If you can, keep the door to the room closed. Stuff wet towels, sheets, or clothing under the door crack to keep the smoke out. If you don't have water available, simply use dry materials. Open the window and signal for help. When the fire department arrives they will be able to assist you down to safety. A neighbor might also be able to help you quickly before the professionals arrive.

Some families choose to install fire ladders in their homes. These are basically drop-down ladders that attach to each higher level window. They can be tossed out of the window and used to climb down. These ladders are a great idea if you have bedrooms that are on higher levels. They can really save you time and keep you from being harmed when escaping through a window.

Get Low and Go

When traveling through a burning building to the exit, you should always stay as low to the floor as possible. Make sure you are traveling as quickly as possible at the same time. You want to get out of the building quickly, but being close to the floor will enable you to do so with as little smoke inhalation as possible. Smoke inhalation is extremely dangerous and can cause you to lose consciousness quickly.

Since smoke and heat rises, there will always be less smoke near the floor. Cover your mouth and nose with a piece of clothing as well to further help you breathe. In addition to the smoke rising, the difference in temperature on the floor will be drastic compared to the ceiling. There can be as much as a 1000 degree difference from the floor to the ceiling. Therefore, you will want to be as cool as possible to avoid burns or scorches.

Have A Meeting Place

Having a family meeting place is a great idea. As each person in the family flees to safety, they should go to this place and stay. No one should leave to go back for others. When everyone gets there, you will know the family is safe. If someone does not arrive, notify the firefighters immediately and they will rescue that person. Never go back into the house.

Smoke Detectors

Part of being able to flee safely is having proper smoke detectors in your home. If you don't have smoke detectors, it is likely you will notice the smoke after it is too late. A smoke detector should give you enough time to get out of the house. Make sure you check the batteries at least twice a year. The best types of smoke detectors are hard wired into your house, meaning they are directly linked to your electric. If the electric is shut off for some reason, the batteries will act as backups.

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◦ Drafting a Medical Game Plan in Case of an Emergency
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