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Article Series:
Home Emergency Preparation Tips &
Family Disaster Plans
What
Do I Do in Case of 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. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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