| North
Lauderdale Fire Department |
| Fire Safety
Tips |
Big or small, treat all forms of fire with respect. Did
you know that smoke is responsible for three out of four fire-related
deaths? Knowing what to expect and preparing for a fire before
it happens can save your life. So plan ahead. Please
click on links below for more information on safety tips.
|
| Fire
Safety Checklist |
Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries
The IAFC and fire experts nationwide encourage people to change
smoke detector batteries at least annually. An easy way to remember
to change your batteries is when you turn your clock back in
the fall. Replace old batteries with fresh, high quality alkaline
batteries, such as energizer brand batteries, to keep your smoke
detector going year-long.
Check Your Smoke
Detectors
After inserting a fresh battery in your smoke detector, check
to make sure the smoke detector itself is working by pushing
the safety test button.
Count Your Smoke
Detectors
Install at least one smoke detector on every level of your home,
including the basement and family room and, most important,
outside all bedrooms.
Vacuum Your Smoke
Detectors
Each month, clean your smoke detectors of dust and cobwebs to
ensure their sensitivity.
Change Your Flashlight
Batteries
To make sure your emergency flashlights work when you need them,
use high-quality alkaline batteries. Note: Keep a working flashlight
near your bed, in the kitchen, basement and family room, andd
use it to signal for help in the event of a fire.
Install Fire Extinguishers
Install a fire extinguisher in or near your kitchen and know
how to use it. Should you need to purchase one, the IAFC recommends
a multi-or all-purpose fire extinguisher that is listed by an
accredited testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory.
Plan and Practice Your Escape
Create at least two different escape routes and practice them
with the entire family. Children are at double the risk of dying
in a home fire because they often become scared and confused
during fires. Make sure your children understand that a smoke
detector signals a home fire and that they recognize its alarm. |
|
| Kids
Safety |
Kids will be kids.
They're curious about all sorts of things. And there's nothing
more tempting than those things in the home that mom or dad
uses or that they're told they should stay out of. Curious minds
need to understand. Teach your children well. It's not that
you're trying to take their fun away. You're just ensuring that
they'll have much more fun to come.
Safety tips, advice, and resources found in this section have
been recommended by a number of reputable organizations devoted
to child safety.
Chemicals and kids don't
mix.
Keep all drugs, poisons, and household products safely locked
away.Keep all medicine (including vitamins) securely locked
in a medicine cabinet. Be especially careful while using these
products, and remember to replace child-resistant caps after
use.
Poisons can crawl into your food.
Keep all household cleaners away from your pantry and foodstuffs.
Monkey see, monkey do.
Avoid taking medication, in front of your children. Find out
first. Contact your pediatrician before giving any medicine
to your child. Follow instructions.
Flush
it.
Leftovers are OK when it comes to pizza, but not when it comes
to medicine. Flush old medication down the toilet.
Keep an eye on them.
When visiting others, pay attention to your kids. Someone else's
house may not be as child proof as your own.
Be
prepared for an emergency.
Post the number to your Poison Control Center by every phone.
If poisoning occurs, take the poison with you to the hospital.
Plants can be poisonous, too.
That plant you are so proud of could do harm if ingested. Know
which plants are poisonous and which are nontoxic.
Lead is deadly.
Decorated china, water pipes, fishing tackle, fine crystal,
and old comic books can contain lead.
Here
are some precautions: Check crystal and china, if they
contain lead don't use for serving. If you live in an older
home, check paint for lead. Test your water supply for lead
content. Use cold water to make baby formula. Throw away old
comics or properly store them. |
|
| Fire
Safety Tips for the Barbecue |
There are three types of grills on the market.
1. Charcoal grills which use charcoal briquettes and lighter
fluid.
2. Propane gas grills which use propane tanks.
3. Natural gas grills which uses gas piped in from your house.
CAUTION: These two types of grills are not interchangeable.
Make sure all fittings are tight, and there is adequate ventilation.
Ten Safety Tips
1. Read all instructions before using your grill. Note safety,
operation and handling instructions.
2. Clean grill thoroughly before and after using. This is to
avoid grease build up that can cause flare-ups and/or fire.
NEVER put lighter fluid directly on flames!
3. Keep all grilling activities away from buildings, houses
and garages.
4. Use all grills outdoors. Never grill inside houses, garages
or on wooden porches.
5. Store all lighting fluids away from children.
6. Have a multipurpose A-B-C fire extinguisher, a garden hose,
bucket of water or sand nearby.
7. Keep all children and pets away from grilling area (at least
5 feet in all directions).
8. Never leave cooking unattended.
9. Use proper grilling utensils for safe handling. |
|
| Poison
Safety Checklist |
It is important to keep poisonous products
out of the reach of children so they are not played with or
ingested. Kitchen____All cleaners, household products and
medications are stored out of reach in a locked cabinet.
All cleaners, household products and medicines are in original
containers and properly labeled.
All cleaners, household products and medicines are stored
away from food products.
Items to consider in the kitchen:
Vitamins
especially iron-containing preparations.
Medications
especially those taken by children like antibiotics, cough
and cold products.
Cleaning products
drain cleaners, oven cleaners, antibacterial cleaners, powdered
cleansers, automatic dishwashing detergents.
Insecticides
ant traps, boric acid, rat killers Items
to consider in the Bathroom: Personal
care products
toners, hair coloring kits, hair removal lotions, after-shave
lotion, hairspray, baby powder, shampoo, bath oil, nail polish
and removers.
Oral care products
toothpaste, mouth wash, dental rinses.
First-aid items
hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, anti-itch creams/lotions,
thermometers.
Medications
cough and cold products, analgesics (like aspirin and acetaminophen),
pain rubs, decongestant ointments, eye drops, nasal sprays.
Cleaning products
tub and tile cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, disinfectants,
window cleaners, powdered cleansers.
Laundry Area
All bleaches, soaps and detergents are stored out of children's
reach. All products are in original containers.
Items to Consider in the Laundry
Room:
Cleaning products
laundry detergent, ammonia, bleach, combination of bleach
and ammonia; combinations of bleach and acid.
Items to consider in the Bedroom:
All perfumes, cosmetics and powders are out of reach.
No medicines are in or on dresser or bedside table.
Cosmetics, fingernail polish, perfumes.
Baby products
diaper rash ointment, baby powder, diaper pail deodorizers.
General
Areas of the House:
Room deodorizers.
Liquor.
Poisonous Plants.
General Household: Plants
are out of reach and labeled.
Ashtrays are empty.
Alcoholic beverages are out of reach.
Fuel-burning sources are properly ventilated.Garage
All herbicides, insecticides, paint and solvents are stored
in a locked area.
Gasoline and car products are in a locked area.
All products are in original containers and properly labeled.
Items to Consider in the Garage/Basement:
Carbon monoxide.
Paints (lead-containing), stripping agents, rust removers,
mineral spirits.
Gardening supplies: fertilizers, insecticides.
Fuels such as gasoline, lighter fluid, propane.
Automotive supplies: windshield washer fluid, antifreeze,
car waxes.
Daily Checklist
Inspect all incoming mail and shopping containers as soon
as they arrive. Sort and properly store any prescription drugs,
samples of over-the-counter medicines and any other non-food
items.
Be sure that visiting relatives and friends do not leave purses
and other packages that may contain medicines within easy
reach of children.
Be sure that places children visit, such as cars, day care
centers and grandparents homes, are also safe. |
|
| Home
Fire Safety Checklist |
| How many of these hazards can you eliminate in
your home. If you answer "NO" to at least one of these
questions, then the time for action is NOW.
1. Have you removed all combustible rubbish, leaves, and
debris from your yard?
2. Have you removed all waste, debris, and litter from your
garage?
3. If you store paint, varnish, etc., in your garage, are
the containers tightly closed?
4. Is there an approved safety can for the storing of gasoline
for the lawn mowers?
5. Do you keep your basement, storerooms, and attic free from
rubbish, oily rags, old papers, mattresses, and broken furniture?
6. Is there a sufficient number of metal cans with lids for
rubbish and combustible debris?
7. Are stoves, broilers, and other cooking equipment kept
clean and free of grease?
8. Are curtains near stoves arranged to prevent their blowing
over the burners or flames?
9. Are members of the family forbidden to start fires in stoves
or fireplaces with kerosene or other flammable liquids?
10. Do you always see that your portable space heater is placed
well away from curtains, drapes, furniture, etc.?
11. Are all of your electrical appliances including irons,
mixers, heaters, lamps, fans, radios, television sets, and
other devices "UL" listed?
12. Do all rooms have an adequate number of outlets to take
care of electrical appliances?
13. Have you done away with all multiple attachment plugs?
14. Are all flexible electrical extension and lamp cords in
your home in the open? ( None placed under rugs, over hooks,
through partitions or door openings)
15. Do you keep matches in a metal container away from heat
and away from children?
16. Do you extinguish all matches, cigarettes, and cigar butts
carefully before disposing of them?
17. Do you see to it that there are plenty of noncombustible
ash trays in all rooms throughout the house?
18. Are all members of the family instructed not to smoke
in bed?
19. Do you know that the number to theNorth Lauderdale Fire
Department is 911?
20. Do you have a home escape plan in case of a fire?
21. Do you hold home fire drills at least once a month?
22. When you employ babysitters, do you instruct them what
to do in case of a fire?
23. Did your entire family take part in completing this checklist?
24. Do you at least have a smoke detector on every level of
your home, and within 15 feet of your bedrooms? |
|
| Miscellaneous
Safety Tips |
ConsiderThe Following:
Big or small, treat all formsof fire with respect
Each day, an average of three kids die in home fires - 1,100
children each year. About 3,600 children are injured in house
fires each year. 90 percent of child fire deaths occur in homes
without working smoke detectors.
Although smoke detectors are in 92 percent of American homes,
nearly one-third don't work because of old or missing batteries.
A working smoke detector reduces the risk of dying in a home
fire by nearly half.
Did
you know that smoke is responsible for three out of four fire-related
deaths?
Knowing what to expect and preparing for a fire before it happens
can save your life. So plan ahead. Develop a fire safety plan
with your family that includes a review of fire hazards, an
escape plan, installing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers,
and teaching your children about fire safety. By following these
fire safety strategies you might just save lives.
ADDED SAFETY TIPS
Fires don't discriminate. Neither does safety. There are detectors
available for people with impaired hearing.Teach your children
well. Make sure they know how to dial 911.Make sure you're ready
for anything. Check the batteries in your phone; many phones
use a battery to retain memory when power is lost. Practice
makes perfect. Create a floor plan of your home showing two
ways out of each room. There should be a way to get out of each
bedroom without opening the door. Have fire drills regularly.
Practice your escape at different times of the year.Privacy
can also mean added safety. Sleeping with your bedroom door
closed can give you extra time in case of a fire.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
An extinguisher in hand is worth two fire-trucks coming. A trusty
extinguisher is your best bet against a small fire becoming
a big one.Cover your bases. Purchase an "ABC" type
extinguisher for extinguishing all types of fires. Mount them
and let people know where they are.Fire extinguishers should
be put in the kitchen, bedroom, garage, and workshop.Check the
pedigree. Your fire extinguishers should display the Underwriters
Laboratory (UL) or the Underwriters Laboratory of Canada (ULC)
label. Learn how to use it before you need it!Older children
should also be taught how to operate fire extinguishers.Keep
fire extinguishers away from young children. Use only on small
fires. If there is a large fire, get out of the area immediately
and call 911 from another location.
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