Fire Safety
Facts
According to a NFPA survey, 74% of reported home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms, and less than 3% of respondents said that their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out of the home or building.
- Only 23% of households have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan
- 75% of Americans think they have 6-10 minutes before a fire is life threatening.
- At age 65, people are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fires compared to the population at large.
Tips
Don't get trapped!
The fear of crime drives many people to install security bars and other devices on their windows and doors to prevent intruders from entering their homes. These actions are often taken without consideration of fire safety and as a result, many serious incidents have occurred where people have been trapped and died in fires.
If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency. Emergency release devices won't compromise your security - but they will increase your chances of safely escaping a home fire.
Clear your escape routes!
Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds. The key to your family's safety is planning and practicing a home fire escape plan twice a year. Start by identifying two escape routes out of each room, if possible, then make sure that each of those escape routes can be used safely by everyone. From www.nfpa.org
Fire Loss Clock: (In 2005)
- A fire department responded to a fire every 20 seconds
- One structure fire was reported every 62 seconds
- One home-structure fire was reported every 83 seconds
- One civilian fire injury was reported every 29 minutes
- One civilian fire death occurred every 2 hours and 23 minutes
- One outside fire was reported every 39 seconds
- One vehicle fire was reported every 109 seconds