FIRE SAFETY TIPS - KITCHEN
AREA
Prevent Cooking Fires -
Watch What You Heat
Kitchens can be a dangerous area in
the home and account for a high number of fires and injuries. In
fact, cooking fires are the leading cause of residential fires and
injuries in the nation. Three in 10 reported home fires start in the kitchen -
more than any other place in the home.
Extinguishing Grease
Fires
Built up grease catches fire easily.
Wipe appliance surfaces after spills and clean stove surfaces, ovens and
appliances regularly. An appropriate sized lid should be kept near the stove to
cover and smother any grease fire contained in a pan. Baking soda can also be
used. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire
Cooking Tips
- Don't leave the kitchen with something cooking on the
stove
- Don't cook if you are drowsy or feeling the effects of
alcohol, medication or other drugs
- Roll up your sleeves and don't wear loose fitting
clothing. If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop and roll until
the fire is out.
- Clean cooking equipment regularly to remove grease or
cooking materials that can ignite.
Test your smoke alarms
Make sure they're working so that if
a fire does start you'll have the early warning necessary for everyone to exit
the home quickly. Sit down with the whole family and work out an escape plan.
Everyone needs to know how to get out of the house if a fire starts. Be sure to
designate a meeting place outside the house where everyone can gather once
they're out. Check the cords to any electrical heaters you have to make sure
that they're not frayed or worn and be sure that all other heating appliances
are in good working order.
SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE
ALARM SAFETY INFORMATION
New York State law requires
smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in all types of housing. Alarms are
the best way keep family members safe in the event of a fire or a release of
highly poisonous carbon monoxide gas.
It is the responsibility of the
property owner, including landlords, to ensure these devices are in place. But
the Rochester Fire Department (RFD) will provide home safety checks and
install pre-purchased alarms upon request. The RFD will visit any city home to
ensure smoke or carbon monoxide alarms are correctly installed and in working
order. The RFD receives federal funding to install a limited number of smoke
and carbon monoxide alarms for low-income homeowners and in emergency
situations, while supplies last
Smoke Alarm Information
- Smoke alarms should be installed in every room of your
home except the kitchen.
- Test your batteries once every six months, and replace
your alarm every ten years, or immediately if it becomes
defective.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Information
- Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on every
level of a home that has a sleeping area, and on the level that contains a
carbon monoxide/heating source.
- Battery-powered alarms should be tested very six
months. The device itself should be replaced every 10 years or
as soon as it becomes defective.
- Take all alarms and alerts seriously and call 911
immediately. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas.
Smoke Alarm for the Deaf
and Hearing Impaired
According to The Fire Protection Research Foundation, among the people at risk of not waking to an auditory
smoke alarm are the more than 34.5 million people in the US who are hard of
hearing. In some cases such people
purchase alternative alerting devices which may send a visual signal (e.g. a
strobe light) or a tactile signal which vibrates. Bed shakers and pillow
shakers have become available for people with hearing impairment and may be
used with an alarm clock or for emergency notification.
The Rochester Fire Department
has SilentCall
Smoke Alarms available for the hearing-impaired.
Call 311 to schedule an appointment
or to determine if you qualify for a free smoke or carbon
monoxide alarm.
FIRE SAFETY TIPS - WINTER
SAFETY
Each year fires occurring during the
winter season injure thousands of individuals and cause millions of dollars in
damages. There are simple life-saving steps we can take to ensure our safety.
By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly
reduce their chances of becoming a fire casualty.
Remove snow surrounding a
fire hydrant
While many welcome our winter
wonderland, did you know that snow could cause a great fire risk to your home?
If a fire hydrant is buried in the snow, that's not a good thing if your home
catches fire. An uncleared fire hydrant could cost firefighters that precious
time needed to protect your home and family. Fire hydrants way also freeze
causing the inability of the hydrant to flow water during a time of an
emergency.
It is the property owners
responsibility to keep the fire hydrants clear.
Spring Forward: Time to
reset your clock
The Rochester Fire Department
encourages you to not only reset your clock, but also to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
This is also a good time to review
the Fire Exit Drills with your family. Make sure your children recognize the
sound of your home's Smoke Alarm and teach them to respond instinctively to its
signal. Create at least two different escape routes from every room and
practice them with the entire family.
Holiday decorating
- Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations
that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
- Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things
that can burn.
- Do not place your tree close to a heat source,
including a fireplace or heat vent.
- Use lights that have the label of an independent
testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but
not both.
- Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords
or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini
light sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
- Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do
not get damaged.
- Do not block exits – keep decorations away from windows
and doors.
Candle care
- Avoid Using Lit Candles: If you do use them, make sure they are in stable
holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never
leave the house with candles burning.
- Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree: Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame -
candles, lighters or matches.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless
and colorless gas which could be created whenever a fuel (such as wood,
gasoline, coal, natural gas, kerosene, etc.) is burning. You may be exposed to
Carbon Monoxide when:
- You leave your car, truck or van running.
- You burn charcoal, alcohol or gasoline in an enclosed
test, camper or room.
- You smoke a cigar, cigarette or pipe
- You home contains an incorrectly vented or
malfunctioning hot water heater, furnace, space heater, fireplace or
stove.
It is the responsibility of the property
owner to ensure these devices are in place, but the Rochester Fire Department
can provide home safety advice and can install pre-purchased alarms upon request.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME - TIME TO REMEMBER FIRE SAFETY
Semi-annual clock change
offers fire safety opportunity
Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday
Nov. 5 at 2 a.m. local time. Clocks will go back for an hour at that time.
Twice each year, Rochester-area
residents adjust their clocks to Daylight Saving Time (spring) and Eastern
Standard Time (fall).
This semi-annual event offers
an excellent opportunity to ensure fire safety in the home by changing
smoke-alarm batteries and practicing Exit Drills in the Home (EDITH).
Check Smoke Alarm Battery
Checking smoke alarm batteries at
least once per month is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce
tragic deaths and injuries. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the
protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide.
The most commonly cited cause of
non-working smoke alarms is worn or missing batteries. In fact, working
smoke alarms cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. In addition, experts
recommend replacing your smoke alarms every ten years and testing smoke alarms
regularly by pushing the test button.
Don’t wait, check the
date
If
you have a smoke alarm that is over 10 years old, it needs to be replaced.
Remember, even if you have a new smoke alarm with a 10-year battery, you
should test your smoke alarm at least once per month. If you notice an
intermittent CHIRPING sound, this means the battery is low and must be
replaced.
Observe proper
Installation practices
Smoke alarms should be installed on
every level of the home, outside sleeping areas and inside bedrooms
- A smoke alarm should be installed and maintained
according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Consider placing alarms along your escape path to
assist in egress in limited visibility conditions.
- In general you should place alarms in the center of a
ceiling or, if you place them on a wall, they should be 6 to 12 inches
below the ceiling.
Exit Drills In The Home
(EDITH)
To escape a house on fire; first
maintain working smoke alarms in your home, and second; have a plan in which to
escape your home in case of fire. EDITH is very important along with having
working smoke alarms. Once a smoke alarm goes off in your home, members of your
household along with yourself should react, by using your pre-planned escape
route to exit safely from a fire. Know your escape plan before a fire happens.
Use the following steps to develop your escape plan.
- Draw a simple floor plan of your home, showing two ways
out of each room.
- Ensure all household members understand the escape
routes from the plan.
- Make sure routes are clear, and that the doors and
windows on the route can be opened properly.
- Crawl while using your escape route, it is safer
because heat and smoke rise in a fire
- Practice your escape plan at least twice a year with
your household members and test your smoke alarms monthly while checking
the batteries twice a year. Change your clock, change your batteries.
- Agree on a meeting place outside where everyone can
meet after exiting the home. (This will allow for a head count and allow
the arriving fire fighters to gain information about possible missing
members, and the fire inside.)
- Remember; People who live in an apartment building
should use the stairways and NOT the elevator to escape to the outside.
Some high-rise buildings may use a "defend in place" plan
dependent on the fire location.