Emergency ABC - Get Fired Up - Do You Know What to Do in a Fire?

Get Fired Up - Do You Know What to Do in a Fire?

Fires are one of the most devastating things a family can go through. Most of the time families lose everything they own, or at least most of it. The tragedy of a fire is that it can spread so quickly that just getting out alive can be challenging, let alone getting the fire put out in time to save any personal possessions. A question every family should ask itself is: Do you know what to do in a fire? If you don't know or if you have children, you should plan a family meeting in order to discuss the steps each family member should take if there is ever a fire in your home or anywhere else for that matter.

Getting Out

Obviously, the most important thing to do when a fire is suspected is to get out of the building. Families should show children how to get out of any room of the house. Although it

sounds relatively easy, getting out may be a challenge in itself. If the door to your room is closed, make sure you feel it with your hand before opening it. If the door is hot, do not open it! Find another exit such as a window. If the door is cool, open it slowly and crawl on the ground to an exit.

You should always duck low when exiting the building. This will save you from inhaling too much smoke. More people die from smoke inhalation than from the actual flame of a fire. Inhaling smoke is extremely dangerous. Since heat rises, the lower you are to the ground, the cooler it will be. There is typically a difference of 800-1000 degrees between the temperature at floor level and the temperature at ceiling level in a burning building.

Don't Waste Time

One thing many people do when their house is on fire is try to grab as much stuff as possible. Don't ever waste time trying to collect valuables. A house can completely burn down within minutes. If you are rummaging around inside, you may become trapped and harmed. Be sure to only worry about yourself and whoever else is in the home. Be sure to yell as loud as you can, "Fire! Fire! Get outside!" so everyone can hear your warning and proceed to the exits. Practice this with your family.

If you are truly worried about jewelry or important documents, be sure to keep them in a fireproof safe in your home. You can purchase small fire proof safes at low costs to keep your most treasured valuables in. This will allow you the peace of mind you might need and discourage you from trying to grab important things before leaving during a fire.

Plan A Meeting Place

During your family meeting, be sure to designate a family meeting place near your home. This will be the place each family member will come to and stay if there is a fire. It will ensure that everyone is out of the building. Once each family member exits the home and comes to the meeting place, they should not leave. Once you are out of the burning building, you should never go back inside. If there is someone trapped or a pet trapped, leave it to the firefighters to rescue them. It is their job and they have the proper equipment and training needed to keep them safe. If you try to go back in to the house, you will likely not come back out unharmed.

Call for Help

Most likely, by the time everyone arrives at the meeting place, a neighbor has already called the fire department. If not however, be sure to run to a neighbor's home and call for help. The sooner the fire department can get to your home, the more likely they are to save some of it. They will most likely extinguish the fire within minutes; however the damage may already be done. It is important to work with the emergency personnel.

Don't reenter the home until they have deemed it safe. Many times the firefighters will escort the family into the home to collect whatever belongings they can before making them leave again. Your home will likely not be in any livable shape, so you won't be able to return to normal life in it right away. Just remember, knowing what to do in a fire can be the difference between life and death. Practice these steps with your family to ensure they know exactly what to do if there is a fire.

Five Key Ways to Actively Involve Your Child in your Disaster Preparations

Staying Safe in an Emergency Shelter

Special Needs What Senior Caregivers Need to Do to Prepare for a Disaster

How to Raise Awareness for Emergency and Disaster Preparation

Ten Tips on Creating Your Disaster Plan

Home
◦ Disability Dangers during Disasters
◦ Do You Know All Your Emergency Phone Numbers?
◦ Drafting a Medical Game Plan in Case of an Emergency
◦ Fifteen Ways to Disaster Proof Your Home
◦ Five Fire Facts for Fleeing to Safety
◦ Five Important Things to Know before Cleaning Up after a Flood
◦ Five Things to Ask Your Child's School or Daycare Provider about their Emergency Preparedness
◦ Five Things to Do to Protect Yourself during a Lightning Storm
◦ Five Things to Do When Disaster Strikes While You Are at Work
◦ Five Tips in Averting Home Fires
◦ Four Ways to Protect Your Family against Crime during an Emergency or Disaster
◦ Gassing up and Other Things to Do in an Evacuation
◦ Get Fired Up - Do You Know What to Do in a Fire?
◦ Household Hints to Live by in Preparing for an Evacuation
◦ How to Plan Your Escape Route When Disaster Strikes
◦ How to Raise Awareness for Emergency and Disaster Preparation
◦ How to Talk to Your Child about Disaster Preparation
◦ Hurricane Help - Ten Ways to Prepare for the Big Storm
◦ Importance of Water in an Emergency or Disaster
◦ Insure Against Disaster - Re-Evaluate your Disaster Policies
◦ Keep Afloat During Floods - Six Important Safety Tips
◦ Make a Plan of Action in Case of a Chemical Spill
◦ Making the best out of being stranded: When your vacation won't let you leave
◦ Office Preparedness - Items for your Survival Kit
◦ Pet Essentials - What You Need to Pack in Case of Evacuation

Home Security
◦ 3 essential steps to build a secure community
◦ 5 absolute essentials of home security
◦ 5 absolute essentials of protecting yourself from bogus callers
◦ 5 essential things to check for when you are buying a house
◦ 5 things you must never do if you want a secure home
◦ Apartment Security
◦ Computerized Home Security
◦ Home Automation System
◦ Home Security: 7 things you should never forget about.
◦ Home Security Advice
◦ Home Security Alarm Monitoring
◦ Home Security and Children
◦ Home Security and Information Security
◦ Home Security and Personal Safety
◦ Home Security and Safety
◦ Home Security Basics
◦ Home Security: Bogus Callers
◦ Home Security: Burglary Prevention
◦ Home Security Companies and Contractors
◦ Home Security Do It Yourself
◦ Home Security: Domestic Dangers