Being Prepared for a Natural Disaster

June 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A residential smoke detector is the most famil... 

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Natural disasters, such as a fire, can occur without warning and cause injury to your family along with extensive damage to your personal property. Preventing them is the first step to protecting you and your family.

One of the most essential things to do in your home is to have a smoke alarm in each room of your home that is occupied. They should be checked annually to make sure they are working and have the batteries switched out. The next step is to lay out an emergency evacuation plan in case of a home fire. Each family member should know the proper escape routes out of the room, have a set meeting area and know how to contact emergency authorities. Practice evacuating your home periodically to keep it fresh in everyone’s mind.

Keep a working fire extinguisher in your kitchen in an easy to locate spot and teach everyone how to use it. It is also smart to keep a container of baking soda nearby in case of a grease fire on the stove. Small appliances should only be plugged into GFCI outlets, which are designed to cut off in case of an overload.

Throughout your home, limit the use of extension cords and make sure that they are not overloaded. Too many appliances plugged into an extension cord can cause it to overheat and possible start a fire. They also should never be placed under furniture or carpeting. When you use one, make sure to position it out of the way where people could fall and trip over it. By keeping safety in mind, you can prevent a home fire.

Filed Under: Accident, Safety Advice Tagged With: , ,

Emergency Response and evacuation

January 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fire accidents are one of common accidents that one could common across in most of the metropolitan cities. With all the latest developments and change in life style there are more reason to be ensure that one plans how to tackle fire accidents as it is a proven fact that fire can be uncontrollable for human beings. The concept of high rise living is very common in al metropolitan cities, also the concept of town ship where a community lives together with wall sharing buildings  and so on, it is very easy in such an environment that a small mistake can cause fire accidents.

Every house hold or business centre depending on the kind of accommodation and number of people in the accommodation should to a strategic plan of emergency response system and evacuation. In house hold the cause of fire can be anything like cooking gas or oil, electronic equipments that are left unattended, a dropped cigar / cigarette and many more.

At business centers again fire can be caused due to cigarettes, improper installation of electric cables, short circuit and so on. In such an instance there should be proper management and discipline of handling or dealing and avoiding risk primarily for individuals first and then the property. It is often said that to handle fire accidents one needs to inculcate the discipline of preparing for the disaster before the occurrence.

Today the responsibility of managing fire accidents is not only with the designated and trained fire fighters but every high raise / mutli-storied homes and business centers are now trained in building their own emergency response team and these members also receive special training from the professional fire fighters.

In fact most of the business centers and high rise livings today receive approvals on construction and occupancy only on meeting certain standard specifications laid down keeping in mind about fire accidents and other emergency evacuation plans.

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Five Tips for Teaching Children Fire Safety

September 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Teaching children safety in case of fires is vital for emergency preparedness and response. If children understand the dangers of fires and how to respond to those dangers they will be better equipped when an emergency does happen. Fires can happen at any time and being able to prepare children with five basic tips to use during a fire emergency will help them during dangerous situations.

The first basic tip for teaching children fire safety is to follow a safety plan. Safety plans will teach children how to react during the first signs of fire. Families should sit down together and make a solid safety plan and evacuation plan for fire related incidents. Show children the different ways out of the home and how to get to the safety or the roadside or neighbors home.

A second tip that goes along with a fire safety evacuation plan is to have family cell phones set up with one number that is linked to either a neighbor, fire department, or both. Make sure that the children know how to dial the number so that emergency response teams can respond quickly.A third tip for teaching children saftey in case of fires is to show them fire safety from the beginning. Show children how playing with fire, matches, lighters, and candles can be dangerous. Show them the benefits of using flameless candles and how to notify parents immediately if they notice a potential fire issue.

A fourth tip is to show children how not to overload electrical outlets or leave electrical appliances, such as curling irons, turned on and plugged in. A curling iron that has been left on can cause an entire house to burn down. Teach them to turn off and unplug any appliance that causes possible fire issues.
A fifth and final tip for teaching children fire safety is to enroll them in a course offered by local fire departments and emergency response agencies. Many local volunteer and city fire departments offer special classes several times per year geared toward teaching children fire safety. Educate the children first.

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