E. D. I. T. H.

Exit Drills In The Home

The following are statistics from 2001:

• Each year fire kills more Americans than all the natural disasters combined

• 80% of fire related fatalities occur in residences

• Direct property loss due to fires was close to $10.6 BILLION

• Approximately 100 Firefighters lose their lives each year in the line of duty

• The fire death rate in the United States is one of the highest in the industrialized world.

• There are roughly 1,734,500 fires in the United States each year

Of the 1,734,500 fire each year  30% of them are structure fires.  76% of the structure fires are residential and almost 25% of all fires are residential in nature.

In 1 and 2 family residences fire frequently start in these areas:

• Kitchen 26%

• Bedroom 14%

• Living Room 9%

• Chimney 8%

• Laundry Area 5%

In Apartment Buildings fires frequently start in these areas:

• Kitchen 48%

• Bedroom 13%

• Living Room 6%

• Laundry Area 4%

• Bathroom 2%

Top Three Causes of Fire and Fire related deaths:

• Cooking - Human error and unattended cooking are the leading causes of fire

• Careless Smoking is the leading cause of fire related deaths

• Arson is the second highest cause of both fires and fire related deaths.

• Heating  is the third highest cause of residential fires.

What can you do to not become a statistic?

• Install and maintain multiple smoke detectors in you home.

• Work with your family to develop your own EXIT PLAN.

• Install Carbon Monoxide detectors in your home.

The Plan!

Everyone who lives in your home needs to be involved with the plan, you may also need to take into account if you have infants, young children

and/or and elderly person living with you, they may need special assistance.

Here are some simple ideas for planning your residence in the event of a fire.

1)      Draw a simple sketch of the floor plan of you home, identify doors and windows. 

2)      Try and find at least two ways out of every room, the primary exit should be a door; a second exit could be a window.  If you use a window you may need an escape ladder.  Most home improvement centers carry these. 

3)      Before opening any door you should feel the door and knob for heat, use the back of your hand or wrist.  If the door is hot do not open it there may be fire on the other side, use your second escape route. 

4)      Don’t walk through the smoke, crawl.  Smoke and heat rise, staying low to the floor where the air cooler and more breathable.  If you have to crawl down stairs, go feet first there is less of a chance you will fall. 

5)      Meet at a predetermined place, it should be somewhere easy to remember and away from the house, you could use the neighbor’s house, a telephone pole, a road sign.  Another thing to consider when picking a meeting place is that it should be out of the route of incoming emergency personnel. 

6)      Now call 9-1-1.  Try and give the operator as much information as possible. 

7)      NEVER go back into a burning building for anything.  Let the professionals handle this task.

A few additional ideas for people living in apartment buildings:

1)      Make sure you know where the closest stairwell is located in regards to your apartment.  Never use and elevator. 

2)      Seal vents and door with towels to help prevent smoke from entering you room. 

3)      Open a window a small amount to let fresh air in to breath.  If smoke is being drawn in from that window you must shut it immediately. 

4)      Call 9-1-1 let them know where you are trapped in the building. 

5)      Wave or hang a towel from the window, or use a flashlight to attract attention. 

6)      Try and be patient, rescuing people from high-rise or large building can take some time. 

You should practice your escape plan at least twice a year, a good time to do this would be when you change the batteries in you smoke and carbon monoxide  detectors.