Fire Safety Basics -- Be Very Careful - By: Richard A Stooker

In the United States, around three thousand five hundred people die in house fires, and another two thousand are seriously injured. Yet they are preventable.

Some people think home fires happen only to poor people and this is true on average, but fire doesn't care about your income. When I was in high school one of my classmates, the daughter of a successful doctor, died in a house fire.

Everybody should be careful.

The first step is to go through your house carefully looking for fire hazards. Electrical wiring should be complete, not frayed, stapled or worn. And not run under rugs or carpets where the insulation can get worn, creating a short.

Be especially alert in your kitchen and around heating sources. Make sure there's no trash around water heater and furnace pilot lights. Have space heaters checked out. They've been a prime source of home fires.

Put candles, matches and lighters away, especially if you have small children. Many fires are started by children playing around.

Do not store flammable liquids in your basement or in an attached garage. If you do have a separate garage or storage bin, make certain they're far from other flammable materials such as paper and wood. Don't throw down piles of rags that have been used to clean up turpentine or other flammable chemicals.

It's common advice to tell people to have a smoke detector. I'm prejudiced, because I used to sell a brand of high quality fire alarm systems, but the el cheapo rinky dink smoke detectors are only good for being better than nothing.

If you can, locate a brand of high quality fire detection and alarm systems. I don't know if the brand I represented is still around or not and don't even remember the name (I wasn't with them for long).

But those systems consisted of heat detectors placed in each separate area of your home, close to the ceiling (because heat rises) as well as one smoke detector.

If they detected heat or smoke, they didn't just make a feeble little screeching noise, they hammered out at over one hundred decibels, and went on for minutes. They'd wake your neighbors before you and your family were out of bed.

Also have fire extinguishers in vulnerable areas -- especially in your kitchen. Another one in your basement, close to the furnace is also a good idea.

Fire extinguishers are designed to put out different kinds of fires. Make sure the ones you buy are a combination of A, B and C type fires.

It'd be a good idea to practice (outside!), and have your family -- especially your children, practice pulling out the ring and spraying the root of any fire. You'll have to pay to refill the extinguisher, but that's a small price to pay to make sure everybody in your family knows how to use it.

If you do see a fire, call 911 before attempting to put it out yourself. And don't even true unless it's still small. Get everybody out of the house to make you're safe.

Have a fire alarm plan, and go through fire drills. Make sure your kids know how to get out quickly even if they're woken up in the middle of the night. And have one place close to the house where everybody can meet, to count heads.

About the Author

Richard Stooker has a long-time interest in health, diet and fitness subjects. He's lost weight on the Zone diet by eating Zone favorable balance protein bars and finding out Carbwell Balance bars.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Richard-A-Stooker/77357

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