Fire Extinguisher : 101

Preparing for a Fire Emergency

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Would you know how to react in the case of a fire?
This knowledge is vital to your safety since it could affect whether or not you escape a fire safely. Below are some fire safety tips to keep in mind.

Prior to a fire, create a fire escape plan
A carefully designed fire escape plan can save you and your family's life. Should a fire occur, your family's safety will depend on everyone's rational reactions. Most fire deaths occur when people panic. The old motto "be prepared" is essential in escaping a fire safely. Exit drills in the home and a carefully designed escape plan is your key to a safe escape

Recipe for an effective fire safety plan:
Draw the floor plan of your home. Indicate all doors, windows and other possible escape routes from each room in your home. Draw arrows to indicate the normal exits which will be your primary escape route (your best way out of the house is your normal route to the door). With a different color, draw arrows to indicate a second exit from each room in the home.

Put together a fire safety plan of your own to be ready in case of a house fire.

Agree on a meeting place outside your home where every member of the household will gather after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building. Once you are out, stay out!

Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be a monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully.

If you live in a two-storey house and you must escape from a second-storey window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Fire escape ladders are recommended for a fast and safe exit from two and three level buildings. Make special arrangements for children, seniors, and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.

Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.

Once at the meeting place, have one person go to a neighbour's phone to call the fire department. In addition to telling them your name and address, tell them if anyone is still in the house.

Remember: GET OUT FIRST! CALL FOR HELP AFTER.

See our page with an infographic on fire safety for kids.