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Install
smoke alarms Listed (examined and tested to appropriate
product
safety standards) by a qualified testing laboratory
on every level of your
home, including the basement (but not unfinished
attics). Make sure there
is>
an alarm in or near every sleeping area. |
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Mount
the smoke alarms high on ceilings or walls - remember,
smoke
rises.
Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least
four inches away from
the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be
installed four to 12
inches
away from the ceiling. |
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Don't
install smoke alarms near windows, outside doors,
or ducts where
drafts might interfere with their operation. |
|
Don't
paint your smoke alarms; paint or other decorations
could keep
them
from working when you most need it.
Test your smoke alarms at least once a month by
using the alarms' "test
button."
Tips for keeping your smoke alarms working properly:
Test your smoke alarms at least once a month by
using the alarms' "test
button." Never use an open-flame device to
test the alarm as you could
burn
yourself or start a fire. If the smoke alarm manufacturer's
instructions
permit the use of an aerosol smoke product for testing
the smoke alarm,
only
use one that has been Listed by a third-party product
testing agency, and
utilize it in accordance with the product instructions. |
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Replace
the batteries in your smoke alarms once a year,
or as soon as
the
alarm "chirps," warning that the battery
is low. Helpful hint: schedule
battery replacements for the same day you change
your clock from daylight
to
standard time in the fall. |
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Regularly
vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarm following
manufacturer's
instructions can help keep it working properly. |
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Replace
your smoke alarms once every 10 years. |
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Never
"borrow" a battery from a smoke alarm. |
|
Make
sure that everyone in your home can hear and recognize
the sound of
the alarm and knows how to react immediately.
Safety Tips: Home Fire Escape Plans
They can make the difference between life and death.
Home Escape GridDevelop and practice a home fire
escape plan using our downloadable grid
(549 KB*).
Developing and practicing a home fire escape plan
that everyone
understands
can mean the difference between life and death.
Fire can grow and spread
through your home very quickly. It's important that
you be prepared to
react
as soon as the smoke alarm sounds. These tips can
help you put together-
and
practice - an effective home fire escape plan. |
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Have
everyone memorize the emergency phone number of
the fire
department. |
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Pull
together everyone in your household and make a plan.
Draw a floor
plan of your home, showing two ways out of each
room, including windows.
Don't forget to mark the location of each smoke
alarm. |
|
Test
all smoke alarms (Listed by a qualified testing
laboratory) monthly
to ensure that they work. Replace batteries as needed. |
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Make
sure that everyone understands the escape plan.
Are the escape
routes clear? Can doors and windows be opened easily? |
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If windows
or doors in your home have security bars, make sure
that the
bars have quick- release mechanisms so that they
can be opened immediately
in an emergency. Quick-release mechanisms won't
compromise your security -
but they will increase your chances of safely escaping
a home fire. |
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Bonus
Information
If you are building a new home or remodeling your
existing home, consider
installing a home fire sprinkler system. Visit the
Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition Web site for more information about home
sprinkler systems. |
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Practice
the escape plan at least twice a year, making sure
that
everyone
is involved - from kids to grandparents. If there
are infants or family
members with mobility limitations, make sure that
someone is assigned to
assist them. |
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Agree
on an outside meeting place where everyone can meet
after they've
escaped. Remember to get out first, then call for
help. Never go back
inside
until the fire department gives the OK. |
|
Have
everyone memorize the emergency phone number of
the fire
department.
That way any member of the household can call from
a cellular phone or a
neighbor's home. |
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Be fully
prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds,
get out
immediately. And once you're out, stay out - leave
the firefighting to the
professionals! |
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If
you live in an apartment building, make sure that
you're familiar
with
the building's evacuation plan. In case of a fire,
use the stairs, never
the
elevator. |
|
Tell
guests or visitors to your home about your family's
fire escape
plan.
When visiting other people's homes, ask about their
escape plan. If they
don't have a plan in place, offer to help them make
one. |
