Emergency Services
Emergency Measures Organization
Get Out, Stay Out
You can survive a fire in your home if you leave quickly and don't go back inside until firefighters say it's safe.
"Get out and stay out?" It's a simple strategy that can save your life. But to protect yourself and your household, you must have an escape plan and practice it. October 5-11, 2003 is national Fire Prevention Week. What better time to make sure your family is prepared to survive a home fire
Smoke alarms save lives
Smoke
alarms are inexpensive and they save lives. Install one on every
floor of your home, including the basement, and outside each sleeping
area - inside as well if you sleep with the door closed.
Make sure everyone in your household can hear the alarm while they're sleeping. The majority of fatal home fires happen at night.
Know the sound of your smoke alarm
Newer smoke alarms sound a distinct alarm pattern - groups of three beeps separated by a pause: beep-beep-beep . . . pause .beep-beep-beep . . . pause . beep-beep-beep. Older alarms sound a continuous tone. Be sure everyone in your home recognizes the sound of your alarms, and awakens to the sound of them when sleeping.
Be sure your alarms work
Test
your smoke alarms once a month.
Replace
alarm batteries at least once a year.
Never
"borrow" alarm batteries.
Replace
any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old.
Plan your escape now!
There is no time to waste when the smoke alarm sounds! Smoke
and heat can cause confusion. Everyone in your home must know what to
do.
Know two ways out of each room
Draw a floor plan of your home showing two escape routes - including
windows - from each room. Discuss the escape plan with everyone in the
household.
Choose a meeting place
Decide on a meeting place outside your home where everyone will gather
once you've escaped.
Practice your escape plan!
Hold home fire drills at least twice a year. Pretend some exits are blocked to make drills more realistic. Practice your escape in the dark.
When the ALARM sounds:
Do
not hesitate - leave immediately.
If
an escape is blocked by fire or smoke, use an alternate route.
Go
directly to your meeting place.
Gather
away from the building out of the way of firefighters.
Call
the fire department from a neighbour' phone or use a cell phone after
you have escaped.
Report
anyone trapped inside to the fire department.
Do
not go back inside - for any reason - until the firefighters say it's
safe.
If you live in an apartment building:
Learn
and practisepractice your building's evacuation plan.
Know
the location of all building exits and fire alarms.
Report
any locked or blocked exits to your building's management.
Leave
immediately if you hear a smoke alarm.
Use
the stairs. Never use elevators during a fire.
Stay
where you are and wait to be rescued or move to an area away from the
fire.
If you are trapped:
Call
the fire department and tell the dispatcher where you are.
Stuff
clothes or towels in the cracks around the doors.
Wait
at a window for the fire department to rescue you.
Wave
a flashlight or a large light-coloured cloth to help the firefighters
find you.
Open
the window a few inches at the top and bottom to circulate fresh air.
Close the window if smoke enters.
Escape tips:
Close
doors behind you as you escape to slow the spread of fire and smoke.
If
you have to escape through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees.
Keep your head 0.3 to 0.6 metres (one to two feet) above the floor where
the air will be the cleanest.
Test
doors, doorknobs and spaces around the door with the back of your hand.
If the door is warm, try another escape route. If it's cool, open
it slowly. Slam it shut if smoke enters through the door.
Remember.
Get Out! Stay Out!