Churchbridge Fire Rescue

The majority of fatal home fires happen at night when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the senses quickly and put you into a deeper sleep. By sounding an alarm, and alerting you to fire in time to escape, an inexpensive household smoke detector can increase your chances of surviving a residential fire by 50%.

Where to install?

Because smoke rises, install smoke detectors high on a wall or ceilings. Wall mounted units should be installed 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling, and ceiling mounted units should be installed at least 4 inches from the nearest wall. In rooms with high, pitched ceilings, mount the detector at the highest point possible. Install in open stairways (no doors at either the top or bottom), at the bottom of closed stairways, outside and inside of  bedrooms. Do not install smoke detectors near a window, door, or forced air register where drafts could interfere with the detectors operation.

Maintenance

Test your smoke detector weekly and change the batteries at least twice a year. Many battery powered detectors will "chirp" or make some audible noise when the batteries are low. Resist the urge to use the smoke detector batteries for other uses! 

When a fire breaks out, there is no time for planning. Sit down with your family today to make a plan to escape. Here are guidlines to follow when making a escape plan:

• Always know two ways out! Draw a diagram of your home, showing every door and window. Plan two ways out of every room, especially the bedrooms. Then walk through each escape route, looking for possible barriers or obstructions. Make sure everyone can open all locks, doors, and windows quickly, even in the dark.
• In a two story house, you may have to escape from second floor.  Make sure to have a safe way to the ground.  
• Get out, and stay out! Do not stop for posessions or pets. Just get out and call the fire department from a neighbors house. Do not go back in the house for any reason. If people are trapper, firefighters will have the best chance to rescue them
• Have a meeting place. Choose a safe meeting place and make sure everyone knows where it is

Practice Your Plan

• At least twice a year, have a drill in your home. The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping, so be sure to practice your plan starting from your bedroom
• Make your drill as realistic as possible and practice both escape routes. Pretend that certain exits are blocked by fire, that there are no lights, and that the hallways are filling with smoke.
• Remember, a fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully!
• Practice checking and opening doors but feeling the door and door know with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, use your second escape route.
• If the the door feels cool, open the door slowly, but be prepared to close it quickly if smoke or fire rushes in
• Be sure to close every door you use. This can slow the spread of fire.
• Smoke contains deadly gases and is hot, so it will fill a room from the top down. If you encounter smoke in your primary escape route, use your second escape route. But if you must go through smoke, the best air will be serveral inches of the floor. Get on your hands and knees and crawl quickly to the exit.
• If you become trapped, close doors between you and the fire. To keep smoke out, stuff the cracks around doors and cover vents with blackets or towels. Stay by a window and signal for help with a flashlight or towel. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them your exact location in the house.

REMEMBER, EVERYONE MUST ACT QUICKLY TO ESCAPE. DO NOT DELAY YOUR ESCAPE! YOU WILL NOT GET A SECOND CHANCE!

What is Carbon Monoxide?

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas. Because you can not see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home.
• At lower levels of exposure, CO causes symptoms that can easily be mistaken for the flu. The symptoms include headache, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.

Where does Carbon Monoxide come from?

• CO can come from several sources in your home: gas appliances, BBQs, wood burning furnaces or fire places and motor vehicles

What Should I Do if My Carbon Monoxide Alarm Sounds?

If nobody feels ill:

• Silence the alarm
• Turn off gas appliances and sources of combusiton
• Ventilate the house by opening doors and windows
• Call a qualified professional to investigate the source of CO

If you feel ill:

• Evacuate all occupants immediately
• Determine how many people are ill
• Call 911 and relay information to the dispatcher, including the number of people ill and their symptoms
• Do not re-enter your home until it is deemed safe
• Call a qualified professional to repair the source of CO

Protect Yourself and Your Family from CO Poisoning

• Install at least one CSA approved Carbon Monoxide detector in your home near the bedrooms 
• Never use a range or oven to heat your home
• Never use natural gas, propane, charcoal barbeque grills inside your home or garage
• Never keep your vehicle running in your garage, even with the doors open. Normal circulation will not provide enough fresh air to reliably prevent CO build up
• Check chimneys and vents for blockages
• Have a qualified professional inspect chimenys and vents yearly for blockages, cracks, holes or corrosion

 Christmas Trees

• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched
• If you have an artificial tree, be sure its fire retardant
• Do not place trees near a heat source. (vents, fire places, etc.). The heat will dry out the tree causing it to be more easily ignited
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit 
• Make sure to water the tree daily
• Dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home, garage, or left outside leaning against the home

Christmas Lights

• Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up.
• Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch
• Do not leave lights unattended 

Candles

• Make sure they are in safe, stable holders and are place where they will not be knocked over
• Never leave the house with the candle burning
• Never put lit candles on a tree