In Case of Fire . . .

Imagine this . . .

You are in a deep sleep, dreaming of something bazaar about a loud beeeeeeeeeep. You start to wake and reach for the snooze button on your clock. You hit it but it doesn’t stop. You wake more and realize it’s your smoke alarm. Suddenly you bolt up in bed, adrenalin surges through you – all senses awake – and you smell the smoke. A fire in the house. You shout to your wife as you look for your glasses and slippers. “What is it?”, she groans. You pull open the bedroom door and are hit with a blast of heavy smoke and heat. You start to panic. Commands rush through your head: Call 911. Get the dog. Get the fire extinguisher – where is it? Get the documents. What about the albums, the computer, our clothes? Where are my shoes? Gotta put on some pants. Now you see flames and hear the deadly roar of fire. You need light, turn on the switch – nothing. You call 911 – phone is dead. You and she look for a way out. Fire blocks the front door. Smoke and heat sear your lungs, burn your face and hands. Where is the dog? Where is the fire extinguisher? What about all our stuff? How do we get out? Oh, God, help us! . . . ..

Frightening to contemplate, isn’t it? This has happened to people. Yes, it could really happen to any one of us too. We need to be ready for the unimaginable – a fire in our house, our home. So where to begin?

1. Cardinal rule: be prepared to GET OUT! STAY OUT! Nothing is more precious than life. There have been countless cases of people who escaped fire, but returned to try and rescue something or someone, and never made it out again. GET OUT! STAY OUT!

2. Install SMOKE ALARMS in every bedroom, in hallways, and on all floors, 3 feet from doors and ducts, not too near the kitchen so normal cooking smoke won’t set them off. Test the alarms every month. Replace batteries every 6 months. Never borrow smoke alarm batteries for other purposes. Replace alarms every 7 years.

3. Equip your house with FIRE EXTINGUISHERS for use only in the early stages of a small, contained fire. Place them low near escape routes. Check them regularly to insure they are properly charged. Fire extinguishers can be dangerous if not used properly. Read owners manuals to assure their proper use. Select extinguishers which contain chemicals for putting out different fuels that could feed a fire in your house.

Class A fuel – trash, wood, and paper Use Type A extinguisher

Class B fuel – flammable liquids and grease Use Type B extinguisher

Class C fuel – energized electrical equipment Use Type C extinguisher

Household extinguishers contain chemicals that will extinguish two or more types of fires. The most commonly used is type 2A10BC (a combination of Types A, B, and C).

4. Install a SRINKLER SYSTEM.

5. Install ROPE LADDERS at windows above ground level.

6. Develop an ESCAPE PLAN.

a. Identify TWO WAYS OUT of every room including how to remove or break windows and unlock doors.

b. Designate a safe family MEETING PLACE outside where all members can assemble immediately.

c. Determine how and who will CALL 911 FROM OUTSIDE YOUR HOME.

d. Plan to give CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS to the 911 operator.

e. Know your EXIT ROUTES from each room. Smoke is a worse enemy than fire as it obscures vision, and contains lethal fumes. Many victims are overcome by smoke and not fire.

f. Routinely PREPOSITION ESSENTIALS for escape, e.g., flashlight, cell phone, shoes, and clothing to use quickly when needed.

g. Fires occur by surprise. REHEARSE the escape plan regularly.

7. ESCAPE safely.

a. DO NOT HESITATE to leave your room when you hear a fire alarm.

b. Do NOT USE ELEVATORS, only exit stairwells.

c. Roll onto hands and knees and CRAWL along your escape route.

d. CRAWL LOW under the smoke. The air is clearer 1 or 2 feet off the floor. (Radiant heat at face level while standing can be 1500 degrees, at chest level 800 degrees, at knee level 200 degrees.)

e. FEEL DOORS. If not hot, open slightly to assess an escape route. For a hot door, pack wet towels under it to prevent smoke from entering the room.

f. Identify YOUR LOCATION to fire fighters through 911, or by opening a window slightly and waving a white sheet or towel.

g. If you or your clothing are on fire STOP, DROP, ROLL while covering your face until the fire is out.

8. Fighting SMALL HOUSEHOLD FIRES, e.g., a wastebasket, burning grease, small electrical appliance. One should use common sense when trying to fight small fires.  All too often people underestimate a fire as being “small”, and they find the fire is beyond their control and wind up loosing precious escape minutes.  Use common sense.

a. CALL 911.

b. Get EVERYONE OUT of the house.

c. INFORM OTHERS where you are fighting the fire, and have someone keep an eye on you.

d. Assure that you have an ESCAPE ROUTE.

e. Use a FIRE EXTINGUISHER that is rated for the fire and use it properly. The proper technique is:

1. Pull the pin
2. Aim the nozzle
3. Squeeze the trigger
4. Sweep the stream back and forth across the base of the fire

f. If fire CANNOT BE PUT OUT with one extinguisher GET OUT! STAY OUT! Wait for help.

9. Other USEFUL INFORMATION.

1. A key guideline for anyone helping to fight a fire is to NOT RISK becoming a victim of the fire.

2. INFORM FIRE FIGHTERS of the number of people, their gender, ages and locations who may still be in the house.

3. Fire fighters will initially TURN OFF GAS AND ELECTICITY to your home to eliminate these sources of fire. Residents who know how to turn off these utilities may do so only if it poses no risk to them in doing so. Still it is best to leave this up to the fire fighters. Consult the builder, utility service people or Heritage Hunt CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) members to learn about utility turn off procedures. Residents are advised not to turn back on gas service, but should contact that utility to do so safely.

References:

“When Fire Strikes: Get Out! Stay Out!”, Syndister Online Preview, www.syndister.com,

“Community Emergency Response Team: Participant Manual”, June 2003

Prince William County Fire Marshal’s office.