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We protect the public providing safety education, building inspects, fire preventing education, enforcing fire codes, fire drills, fire investigations, wild fire education, risk assessments, use of fire extinguishers and any specific education program that is requested.

Fire prevention, as well as the response to fires, are both vital to saving lives. Approximately 20,000 Americans are injured every year due to a fire. Additionally, over 4,000 people die on an annual basis from them. There are a number of aspects to consider when practicing fire safety whether it is inside the home or in a public place.

Fire Hazards in the Home

It is vital that you understand that fire hazards in the home can be avoided. In order to do this, you must identify the fire hazards and correct them as soon as possible. Make sure to keep matches and other fire-starters out of reach from children. Also make sure to keep from overloading any extension cords, outlets and other power sources; if any cords are frayed, replace the appliance part as soon as possible and do not use it until the cord has been replaced.

The top seven fire hazards in your home are Christmas trees, candles, electric lights, kitchen appliances, fireplaces, space and portable heaters and coal or wood-burning stoves. When you have the Christmas tree up in your home, make sure to keep the tree watered. If an electrical shortage occurs on a dry tree, it is much easier to catch fire than on a tree that has been watered. When you have open-flamed candles, make sure to keep them away from plants, furniture, decorations and anything else that can catch fire. Do not burn paper in the fireplace and make sure that you have a cover to go in front to prevent pops from catching your furniture on fire. Also make sure to unplug a space heater and to never leave one unattended.

Preparedness

Being prepared for a fire, means that you have a plan of action. Make sure that every family member has a task to complete from a checklist that includes tasks such as ensuring that new smoke detectors are installed and tested once each month, make sure the fire extinguisher is not expired and practice a fire escape drill on a regular basis so that it becomes habitual. This is important because during an emergency, it can be difficult to remember a plan if it has not been practiced enough.

During a Fire

When a fire occurs, it can be easy to panic unless you know what to do during a fire. If your clothes have caught fire, stop, drop and roll until it has been extinguished. In order to escape from a fire, check closed doors before opening them to get through by placing the back of your hand near the top of the door and by the handle to determine if heat is coming from the other side. If the door is cool, open it slowly and make sure that your escape route is not blocked by the fire. If the door is hot, do not enter the room and escape through the nearest window. Make sure to stay low to avoid smoke inhalation.

Fire Safety for Kids

Fire safety is an important topic to understand. It simply includes everything you need to know in order for you and your family to be safe as well as your home and knowing what you need to do if you are ever in a fire. The three P’s of fire safety are Prevent, Plan and Practice. Prevention is the key to lessen the chance of a fire starting in the first place; taking proper precaution in your home helps with this. Make a plan with you and your family so that you all have things to do to help with prevention and plan a route of escape. Practice these tasks and the escape route regularly so that you understand exactly what you are supposed to do.

Statistics
In terms of accidental death in the home, fire comes in at third place. In the United States, fire death rates are among the highest out of all of the industrialized countries. In the year 2009, over 350,000 fires were reported. This resulted in 2,480 deaths and 12,600 injuries.

Recovering
Recovering from a fire can be a draining process, both mentally and physically. Within the first 24 hours after the incident, you should contact a local disaster relief service to help with immediate needs such as temporary housing, food and other essential items. You should also contact your insurance agency and refrain from re-entering the home as fires can reignite themselves from smoldering remains. Save the receipts for any money you spend as far as food, lodging expenses, etc. to be documented for your claim so that you can be reimbursed.

After everything has settled down, locate your identification, medicine and insurance information as well as monetary valuables including jewelry and credit cards. Notify all important parties of your relocation, such as your insurance company, post office, your employer and your friends and family members. Make sure not to throw away anything that has been damaged until it has been inspected for the claim.

 

Home Safety Guide

Our homes are our safe haven. We must protect it and those inside. Accidents can happen in any room of a house. That’s why its pertinent to take precautions to safety-proofing rooms based on design and usage. Its even more important to take preventive measures when there are children and the elderly residing in the home.

 

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