PSA - Develop and Practice a Home Escape Plan - Calgary Fire Department

October 11, 2012 01:03 PM Category: Fire

As Fire Prevention Week continues, the Calgary Fire Department wants to remind and encourage Calgarians to develop and practice a home escape plan. In 2011, CFD responded to a total of 1,860 fire incidents in which three fatalities were reported. In the deaths caused by residential fire in 2011, smoke alarms were not present in the dwellings, a crucial fact that could have helped to prevent the loss of lives.

The Calgary Fire Department is actively informing Calgarians that it is critical to develop an escape plan so that every family member is able to react quickly and get out safely.

Some advice to follow:

Install and maintain smoke alarms

Install smoke alarms in every room. Keep smoke alarms clean and dust-free, checking them on a monthly basis.
Both hard-wired and battery powered alarms require replacement after 10 years and batteries need to be changed annually. Always refer to your owners’ manual for additional information.
Make certain that everyone understands that if they hear the smoke alarm, or someone shouting "FIRE", they should immediately evacuate the home.

Plan all exits

In order to be able to react quickly to fire, draw a floor plan of your home showing all possible exits from each room.
Where possible, plan two exits: a main route and an alternate route from each room.
Designate a safe meeting place outside your home in the event of a fire.

Practice your escape plan

Keep bedroom doors closed at night while sleeping and if awakened by a smoke alarm or a fire, instruct family members to feel the door for heat and also check for hot air at the bottom opening. If you don't smell smoke and the air is cool, kneel and open the door slowly, turning your face away from the opening. If smoke is present or the door is hot, use another exit.
Since the majority of fire deaths occur while people are sleeping, you should practice your plan at night as well, getting down on your hands and knees with a flashlight while crawling to safety. Smoke is very toxic and will impair breathing, which is why staying close to the floor increases the chances of escape.
Small children unable to escape should be taught to open their windows and attempt to attract attention by yelling or screaming. Instruct them to wait at the window until someone comes and to never hide from the fire. The Calgary Fire department also recommends having a home escape ladder to assist with egress from second story windows.
If anyone in your home is unable to evacuate without assistance, assign someone to assist them.
Call the Fire Department or 9-1-1 from a neighbour's home.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week, visit:

http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Fire/Pages/Programs/Fire-Prevention-Week/Fire-Prevention-Week.aspx

Onward/Working to reduce the risk of injury, the Calgary Fire Department is committed to delivering prevention-based outreach to Calgarians and encouraging citizen responsibility and safe practices. /2020 Sustainability Direction: By 2020, The City of Calgary’s recordable injury rate is best in class for Canadian Municipalities.

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