BASIC FIRE ESCAPE PLANNING A PUBLIC SAFETY MESSAGE FROM WESTWOOD FIRE CHIEF WILLIAM HAFFLER .
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Your ability to get out of a house fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning .
Pull together everyone in your household and plan . Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes . Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home , marking two ways out of each room , including windows and doors . Also , mark the location of each smoke alarm . This is a great way to get children involved in fire safety in a nonthreatening way .
Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room , outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home . NFPA 72 , National Fire Alarm Code requires interconnected smoke alarms throughout the home . When one sounds , they all sound .
Everyone in the household must understand the escape plan . When you walk through your plan , check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily .
Choose an outside meeting place ( i . e . neighbor ’ s house , a light post , mailbox , or stop sign ) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they ’ ve escaped . Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan .
Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road . If not , paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home .
Have everyone review and understand calling 9-1-1 . That way any member of the household can call from a neighbor ’ s home or a cellular phone once safely outside .
If there are infants , older adults , or family members with mobility limitations , make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency . Assign a backup person too , in case the designee is not home during the emergency .
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 .
Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family ’ s fire escape plan . When staying overnight at other people ’ s homes , ask about their escape plan . If they don ’ t have a plan in place , offer to help them make one . This is especially important when children are permitted to attend “ sleepovers ” at friends ’ homes .
Be fully prepared for a real fire : When a smoke alarm sounds , get out immediately . Residents of high-rise and apartment buildings should do what the building manager has posted as it may be safer “ defending in place .”
Once you ’ re out , stay out ! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building . If someone is missing , inform
the 9-1-1 dispatcher when you call . Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues .
PUTTING YOUR PLAN TO THE TEST
Practice your home fire escape plan twice a year , making the drill as realistic as possible .
Make arrangements in your plan for anyone in your home who has a disability .
Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping . The objective is to practice , not to frighten , so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill .
It ’ s important to determine during the drill whether children and others can readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm . If they fail to awaken , make sure that someone is assigned to wake them up as part of the drill and in a real emergency situation .
If your home has two floors , every family member ( including children ) must be able to escape from the second-floor rooms . Escape ladders can be placed in or near windows to provide an additional escape route . Review the manufacturer ’ s instructions carefully so you ’ ll be able to use a safety ladder in an emergency . Practice setting up the ladder from a first-floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly . Children should only practice with a grown-up , and only from a firststory window . Store the ladder near the window , in an easily accessible location . You don ’ t want to have to search for it during a fire .
Always choose the escape route that is safest – the one with the least amount of smoke and heat but be prepared to escape under toxic smoke if necessary . When you do your fire drill , everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your exit .
Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire , giving you more time to safely escape .
In some cases , smoke or fire may prevent you from exiting your home or apartment building . To prepare for an emergency like this , practice “ sealing yourself in for safety ” as part of your home fire escape plan . Close all doors between you and the fire . Use duct tape or towels to seal the door cracks and cover air vents to keep smoke from coming in . If possible , open your windows at the top and bottom so fresh air can get in . Call the fire department to report your exact location . Wave a flashlight or light-colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located .
For additional assistance in fire safety and risk reduction , call the Westwood Fire Department ’ s non-emergency line at 201-664-0526 .
DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN / THE RECORD
MyWestwood MAY 2017