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**Fire            Safety**

In 1999, more than 2,900 people were killed and            another 16,425 were injured in home fires in the United States. In a fire, smoke alarms cut the chances of dying in half. 

 
**Safety          Tips ****Fire Safety Tips**
Residential fires can be dangerous and destructive, but you        can reduce your risk for fire-related injuries if you follow a few simple tips. 

**1. Install smoke alarms outside each separate sleeping        area and on every floor of your home, including the basement.**- CDC suggests using smoke alarms with lithium-powered batteries and a "hush            button." A lithium-powered battery lasts up to 10 years, and a hush button allows you            to quickly stop nuisance alarms that are caused by such things as steam or oven smoke. 
- If 10-year, long-life smoke alarms are not available, install smoke alarms that use a            regular 9-volt battery, but be sure to replace the battery every year. (A useful tip to            help you remember: when you change your clocks to standard time in the fall, change the            battery. Or pick a fall              holiday like Halloween or Thanksgiving to change the battery.)
- Smoke alarms have a useful life of about 10 years. At that age the entire alarm should            be replaced, even if it seems to be working.
- Test smoke alarms every month to make sure they work properly. This can be done by            pushing the test button. If the smoke alarm is out-of-reach, you can push the test button            with a broom handle or yard stick.

**2. Make a family fire escape plan and practice it every 6        months.**

In a typical home fire, people have only about 2 minutes to get outside. It's easy for        anyone to panic and be confused during that short time, especially children. During a        fire, children often try to hide in a closet or under beds where they feel safe rather        than going outside.  That's why it's so important to make a fire escape plan for        everyone in the family and practice it at least twice a year. However, in a national        survey, only 53% of respondents said they had a plan to follow if there were a fire in        their home, and of these, only 3 of 10 had ever practiced the plan. - In the plan, discuss at least two different ways to get out of every room and choose a            safe place  **in front of the house or apartment building**             for family members to meet after escaping a fire. Having a meeting place will let you know            that everyone has gotten out safely, and no one will get hurt looking for someone who is            already safe. 
- Talk with your family about what to do in the event of a fire: 
- Get out as fast as possible and go to your family's designated meeting place.
- Do not stop to grab photographs or other belongings. 
- Do not go back into a burning house or apartment building. 
- Call the fire or rescue department from a neighbor's house. 
- If there is smoke in the room, stay low or crawl to your exit.
- If you cannot escape, put wet towels or fabric around doors to block off smoke, crawl to              a window, and open it. Yell out the window for help and wave a sheet or cloth for              attention. If there is a phone in the room, call for help.

**3. Prevent a fire from starting in your home.**- When cooking, never leave food on a stove or in an oven unattended. Avoid wearing            clothes with long, loose-fitting sleeves. Do not hang pot holders and towels near burners.          
- If you are a smoker, do not smoke in bed, never leave burning cigarettes unattended, do            not empty smoldering ashes in a trash can, and keep ashtrays away from upholstered            furniture and curtains.
- Keep matches and lighters away from children's reach, safely store flammable substances            used around the home, and never leave burning candles unattended.
- Never leave young children alone in the home, even for a short period. Unattended            children can start a fire by trying to cook something or by using a heater or electrical            appliance in the wrong way.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn, including furniture,            bedding, and clothing. Do not leave space heaters on when you are not in the room or when            you go to sleep.

**4. Teach children to stop, drop, and roll.**

Clothing fires are a major cause of burn injuries to children. Children can set their        clothes on fire by playing with matches or getting too close to open fires or stoves. If        this happens, children's natural reaction is to run, which will make the situation worse.        Parents should teach their children the "stop, drop, and roll" manuever to        smother the flames. This has saved many lives, and parents should practice the maneuver        with their children. The moment clothes start to burn:- stop  where you are,
- drop  to the ground,
- and  roll  over and over with your hands covering your face.

**The Problem **
**Who Is Affected?**

While most of us understand the importance of fire safety, we often forget just how        dangerous a fire can be. In 1999, more than 2,900 people were killed and        another 16,425 were injured in home fires in the United States. Older adults, children younger than        five years old, and people in substandard housing or mobile homes are at the highest risk for fire-related        deaths.  Among children between the ages of one and nine years, fire and burn-related        injuries are the third leading cause of injury death. 

**The most common causes of home fires are cooking and        heating equipment**. Heating appliances,        including portable space heaters, can ignite furniture and other combustibles left too        close to the heater. However, smoking is the leading cause of deaths from fires in the        home and are often the result of carelessly discarded cigarettes or matches igniting        furniture or mattresses.  Alcohol use and fires are also a deadly mix. One study        found that intoxication contributed to 40% of deaths due to home fires.

**Most victims of fires die from smoke or toxic gases and        not from burns.** Fires produce poisonous gases that can spread quickly and        far from the fire itself to claim victims who are asleep and not aware of the fire. Even        if people awaken, the effects of exposure to these gases can cloud their thinking and slow        their reactions so that they cannot escape. That is why it is so important for people to        have early warning so they can escape before their ability to think and move is impaired.

**One of the most important fire safety devices for the        home is one that provides such a  warning -- the smoke alarm**. Studies        have shown that in a fire, smoke alarms cut the chances of dying in half. As many as 93%        of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm, but one in four homes with smoke detectors        have nonworking alarms. People with nonworking smoke alarms most often report that they        disconnected or removed the battery to stop nuisance alarms, or they forgot to replace the        old battery. 
**Safety Resources ****Additional Resources**
**Fire Prevention Week 2000**

In 1999, more than 2,900 people were killed and another 16,425 were          injured in home fires in the United States. In a typical home fire,          people have only about two minutes to get outside safely. Individuals          and families should develop a home fire escape plan and practice it.          You can learn how at www.firepreventionweek.org

**American Trauma Society**

ATS's        web page with materials on fires and burns.

**National Fire Protection Association**- NFPA's web page  with materials on home fire safety
- NFPA's web page             containing fire safety materials for children
- "Remembering When"              A New Fire and Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults
- NFPA's            resource catalog
- Sparky the Fire Dog            The official "spokesdog" of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

**National SAFE KIDS Campaign**- SAFE            KIDS's web page  containing publications

**U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission**- CPSC's            web page  containing publications              Titles include: "Your Home Fire Safety Checklist," "Smoke Detectors Can            Save Your Life," and "CPSC and NKHA Stress Kerosene Heater Safety."

**United States Fire Administration**- FireSafety            and Education
- USFA's Kids Page- Where            the fun starts!

This page    last updated September 29, 2000 |
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