Use and Care Manual

26
FIRE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
CREATE AN ESCAPE PLAN TO PRACTICE
Be prepared when your smoke/CO alarm
sounds its alarm. Develop a family escape
plan, discuss it with all household members,
and practice it regularly.
• Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound
of your smoke/CO alarm and explain what the
sound means.
• Determine TWO exits from each room and
have an escape route to the outside from
each exit.
• Teach all the members in your household to
check doors for heat with the back of your
hand before opening them, and to use the
alternate exit if the door is hot. Make sure
they do not open the door if it is hot.
• Teach household members to crawl along
the floor to avoid dangerous smoke, fumes
and gases.
• Determine a safe meeting place for all
household members to regroup at outside
the building.
PRACTICE FIRE SAFETY
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year,
making sure that everyone is involved – from
kids to grandparents. Practice the escape
plan with children, including holding one at
night when they are sleeping. If children or
others do not wake up to the sound of the
smoke alarm, or if there are infants or family
members with mobility limitations, make sure
that someone is assigned to help them for
the fire drill and in the event of an emergency.
Current studies have shown smoke alarms
may not awaken all sleeping individuals, and
that it is the responsibility of individuals in the
household that are capable of assisting others
to provide assistance to those who may not
be awakened by the alarm sound, or to those
who may be incapable of safely evacuating the
area unassisted.
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE
• Get out now.
• Don’t panic; stay calm.
• Operate your safety plan as previously planned.
• Alert small children in the home and those
who may need extra assistance.
• Leave the building as quickly as possible.
Touch doors with the back of your hand and
make sure they are not hot before opening
them. Use an alternate exit, if necessary.
In case of smoke, crawl along the floor, and
DO NOT stop to collect anything. Close the
doors behind you.
• Meet at a pre-arranged meeting place outside
the building.
• Once outside, do a head count, and call the
fire department.
• DO NOT reenter the house, unless a fire
official says it’s safe to reenter.