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Fire Prevention / Safety Info

Emergency Situations - Smoke Detectors - E.D.I.T.H. Fire Extinguishers - Safety Tips - Carbon Monoxide   Emergency situations - Call 911 for Fire, Police or Ambulance. Give your name, the location and the nature of the emergency and stay on the line with the dispatcher until instructed to hang up.

Working smoke detectors - Double your chances of surviving a fire. One should be placed on each level of your home and outside each sleeping area. •Check operation monthly by pushing the test button. •Change your batteries when you change your clocks. •Keep them clean and dust free. •Replace the bulb (if it is a photoelectric detector) every three years.

E.D.I.T.H - Exit Drills In The Home is a plan you make to escape fire in your home. Fires in the home are the cause of many deaths. In fact, 70% of all fatalities by fire occur in private residences. And, most of these could have been prevented if the families had a fire escape plan and if they practiced the plan regularly. •Draw escape plans (include two means of escape) and post them next to the door of all bedrooms or other rooms where children may be. •Practice fire drills and alternate escape routes making sure children can work all the windows, doors and locks they may have to use to escape. •Have a designated meeting place outside. Count heads to be sure all are accounted for. •Never re-enter a burning house to try to save valuables or even to rescue a pet. •Decide now which neighbor's house to call the fire department from. •Inform the arriving firefighters if someone is trapped or missing.

Fire Extinguishers - The best type for a homeowner is an ABC Dry Chemical extinguisher. It is capable of putting out Class A - Combustible, Class B - Flammable Liquid/Grease, and Class C - Electrical fires. Keep easily accessible. The most common places are the kitchen, basement and garage (having one in each is better). Get them tested after each discharge and annually by a licensed service company. Buy only "listed" or "labeled" extinguishers. Before you decide to fight the fire, follow these steps: •Call the fire department •Make sure everyone has evacuated the house. •Be certain the fire doesn't block your escape route. •Do Not attempt to fight the fire if it has spread beyond it's immediate area. It's too large and your extinguisher will last only 3 to 20 seconds. •P.A.S.S. - The fire is still small and you have decided to use your extinguisher. Do you already know how to operate it? After a fire has started is not the time to learn how to use your extinguisher. Familiarize yourself with your particular model and Remember P.A.S.S. •Pull the pin. •Aim at the base of the fire. •Squeeze the handle. •Sweep from side to side.

Safety Tips 1. Know two ways out 2. Stop, Drop and Roll 3. Crawl under smoke 4. Blow out candles at night 5. When you turn your clocks back or forward, change smoke detector batteries 6. Don't play with matches or lighters 7. Don't play with the stove 8. Don't put anything into electrical outlets 9. No extension cords, use power strips 10. Don't overload electrical outlets 11. If the door is warm, go out the window 12. Always go to the safe meeting place when you get out 13. Don't call 911 from the house on fire ... get out! 14. Don't hide under the bed or in the closet from firefighters 15. NEVER go back into a house on fire for ANYTHING!!!

Carbon Monoxide NO SMELL NO TASTE NO COLOR Carbon Monoxide (CO) is produced by the incomplete combustion of the fossil fuels – gas, oil, coal and wood used in boilers, engines, oil burners, gas fires, water heaters, solid fuel appliances and open fires. Dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide can accumulate when as a result of poor installation, poor maintenance or failure or damage to an appliance in service, the fuel is not burned properly, or when rooms are poorly ventilated and the carbon monoxide is unable to escape. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends installing at least one carbon monoxide detector with an audible alarm near the bedrooms. If a home has more than one story, a detector should be placed on each story. The following is a checklist for where to look for problem sources of carbon monoxide in the home: Check the flame color of your appliances, if its orange you have a problem. However, blue does not necessarily mean its safe. Pilot lights can be a source of carbon monoxide because the by-products of combustion are released inside the home rather than vented outside. Get your appliances checked annually. Check the flue, is it blocked? Do you have creeping plants growing up your walls? Do you have birds nesting in your flue? Completely remove these obstructions from the flue area and fit a guard to stop any birds nesting. Get your flue checked! Is it drawing properly? Was it fitted correctly in the first place? Do you have a gas barbecue grill? They can be particularly hazardous. Is yours working correctly? Barbecue grills should never be operated indoors under any circumstances nor should stove tops or ovens that operate on flammable fuels be used to heat a residence. Is there adequate ventilation? Be sure space heaters are vented properly. Unvented space heaters that use a flammable fuel such as kerosene can release carbon monoxide into the home. If the appliances in your home do not have enough air they will produce carbon monoxide. Check the clothes dryer vent opening outside the house for lint. When were your appliances last checked? Do it every year don’t leave it to chance. Remember the technician can only check the conditions on the day that he attends. Get protection year round, install a CO detector. Do you suffer from unexplained illnesses? Fatigue, muscle pains, upset stomach, lethargy, dizziness, headaches? We all feel better when we go on vacation. If you feel especially invigorated it may be that you have been removed from the source of the poison. If your health goes into decline on your return it may be that it's not just post vacation blues, you may be suffering the ill effects from being poisoned from carbon monoxide in your home. The most important thing that you can do to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning is to get a carbon monoxide detector alarm. What should you do when the Carbon Monoxide Detector/Alarm sounds? Never ignore an alarming carbon monoxide alarm. Contact emergency services by calling 911 and immediately move to fresh air and wait for the arrival of the fire department. The fire department has specialized equipment to safely detect and locate carbon monoxide sources and hazards. The above was taken from information provided from the web site carbonmonoxidekills.com. Please check out http://www.carbonmonoxidekills.com for additional information about carbon monoxide.    Addition information from Qualified Hardware Library: Carbon Monoxide Safety Carbon Monoxide (CO), also refered to as Carbonous Oxide, is a colorless and odorless poisonous gas. Carbon Monoxide is also impossible to see, taste or smell, making it even more dangerous, and sometimes, lethal. As a result of this, it has earned the title, "The Silent Killer". Each year, this "silent killer" is responsible for approximately 400 lives and sends an additional 20,000 people to emergency rooms for urgent care in the United States alone. This is an astronomical figure for this day and age, where resources are readily available to increase awareness, detection and prevention. Although the effects of Carbon Monoxide exposure may vary depending on age, physical constitution and overall health, etc. It is the contact with higher concentration and the length of time exposed to this poisonous gas that is most toxic and thus, most dangerous. At low levels of exposure, Carbon Monoxide may cause flu-like symptoms including dizziness, headaches, fatigue, nausea and disorientation. At higher levels, it is fatal. Generally speaking, Carbon Monoxide is produced when Carbon burns with incomplete oxidation, when any material burns with an insufficient presence of oxygen. It may come into the home by way of wood stoves, fireplaces, gas stoves, gasoline powered equipment, generators, boilers, furnaces, car exhaust etc. However, there are many steps one can take to increase awareness and reduce exposure to this poisonous gas, such as scheduling a trained-professional inspector, using proper fuel, installing vents or replacing old ones, keeping gas appliances working properly, remembering to open flues when using fireplaces, etc.. In conclusion, Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, colorless and odorless, poisonous, and extremely dangerous toxic gas. It affects humans and animals alike, with variations or different levels of poisoning, depending on age and overall health, but most importantly, the concentration or quantity levels and duration of exposure of this toxic and extremely dangerous gas.  It single-handedly kills 400 people in the Unites States alone every year, and hospitalizes an additional 20,000 victims. However there are many readily available resources to help increase awareness of this poison, detection and prevention. We have to educate people on how to minimize exposure and combat this "Silent Killer".  Click here to visit the Qualified Hardware Site for additional links.