Protect Your Family From Fire

In 2009, a home fire was reported in North America every 87 seconds, killing over 2,000 people, injuring 12,000 and causing 7.6 billion dollars in damage.

Many fatalities, injuries and property losses can be prevented by planning ahead and integrating fire safe behaviours into your daily activities.

Sprinklers:

If you are building or remodelling your home, consider installing home fire sprinklers.
The risk of dying in a home fire is roughly 82% less when sprinklers and working smoke alarms are present.
Sprinklers reduce the average home property loss by roughly 71% per fire.

Smoke Alarms:

Almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area.
An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smouldering fires. For the best protection, install both types or a combination alarm.
Test alarms monthly.
Replace batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year. If the alarm “chirps”, replace the battery right away.
Replace all alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested.

Home Escape Planning:

When the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
Make a home escape plan with your family noting two ways out of every room and choose an outside meeting place.
Practise your fire escape drill annually.

Interesting Note: The main cause of structure fires in Chatham-Kent last year was combustibles being placed too close to heat sources. Keep them at least one metre away!

Don’t be a statistic…be smart and Protect Your Family From Fire.