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Family Emergency Planning & Preparedness
Home
Fire Safety
Smoke Detectors
In a fire emergency,
functioning smoke detectors
can mean the difference between life and death. Smoke detectors should
be positioned on the ceiling just outside each bedroom. When bedroom
doors are closed during sleep, an additional detector should be placed
in the bedroom. More than half of all fatal house fires occur at
night. Detectors will wake your family if a fire starts while you
sleep.
Make sure your detectors are
State Fire Marshall approved. Test them monthly and change batteries
twice a year in fall and spring when you change your clocks.
Fire Extinguishers
Extinguishers are
essential emergency tools in your home. Again, be sure they are State
Fire Marshall approved. Each family member should know the locations of
your extinguishers and be able to operate them. Extinguishers should be
mounted in easy-to-reach spots. They must be checked annually to see
that they have maintained their charge, and must be recharged following
use.
Extinguishers are
identified by letters that designate type of fires for which they are
intended:
A—cloth
& wood fires
B—flammable
liquid fires
C—electrical
fires
D—flammable
metal fires
Home
Sprinklers
Home sprinklers
immediately respond to a fire in the home by extinguishing it, including
times that you are away or asleep. Because of their effectiveness and
reliability, they can pay for themselves by reducing the cost of your
insurance. Your local fire department can provide information on
approved systems.
Pre-Fire Planning
Insurance
From time to time,
review your homeowner’s policy. Videotape all valuables and maintain a
current inventory with a duplicate filed with your insurance company.
Important Papers, Photos & Other Valuables
Keep important documents in a
fireproof box that you can take with you in event of fire. Consider
storage of some documents in alternate locations such as safe deposit
boxes.
Negatives of your photos can be stored in
locations other than your home, such as safe deposit boxes. Fire
victims most often regret the loss of photographs.
Have a list of what you want to take
during an emergency. Store valuables together to save time.
What to Do & Where to Go
Your family should discuss what to
do in an emergency. All escape routes from your home must be identified,
including two safe exits from each room—particularly bedrooms.
Determine at least two evacuation routes from your neighborhood to a
meeting place. Select a meeting place outside your neighborhood in case
family members are not permitted back into the area.
Discuss your plans with neighbors. See
the section on Community Preparedness. Plan help for neighbors who
require assistance.
Your family must be trained to help
evacuate young, elderly and disabled persons from your home if they need
it. Their rooms should be as close to exits as feasible.
Keep uppermost in mind that fire spreads
quickly, blocking exits and generating substantial smoke. A few breaths
of smoke and toxic gases can kill. If trapped in smoke, crawl with your
head down because cleaner air is near the floor.
Emergency Supplies
Families should maintain a kit
that includes the following five basics:
1.
Water—Store a three-day supply
of water for each family member. Plan for one gallon per person per
day, two quarts for drinking and two quarts for food prep and
sanitation.
2.
Food—Store ready to eat canned
foods, as well as foods necessary for infants or people on special
diets.
3.
First Aid Kits—Homes and
vehicles should have first aid kits. Over the counter kits are often
excellent.
4.
Clothes & Bedding—Cold weather
clothing that includes, hats, gloves, and raingear, as well as sleeping
bags should be stored. Anticipate power outages.
5.
Tools—A kit should include a
battery radio, poly tarps, a hand can opener, multi-tool knife, writing
implements, storage containers, matches in a waterproof container,
garbage bags, whistle, flashlight, pliers, tent, cash/checks, shut-off
wrenches, soap, chlorine bleach, tape, toilet paper, ABC type fire
extinguisher, eating implements, flares, foil, needle and thread, and
personal hygiene items.
Special items such as baby needs (diapers, bottles,
formula), medications, spare glasses and contacts, denture supplies, a
phone book, personal phone listings, books, and games should also be
included.
Livestock and Pet Evacuation
It is essential that your pre-fire
planning include pets and livestock. Have adequate carriers readily
accessible for pets and make arrangements with neighbors regarding
carrier location and use if you are not at home. Carriers must include
bowls, food, leashes, water, collars and identification.
Make certain your
community develops a plan that includes trailering out horses, cattle
and other livestock.
What to Do When Wildfire
Threatens
1.
If you see fire
approaching your home, call 911.
2.
Evacuate family members
and pets, reminding everyone where to meet.
3.
Contact a friend or
relative about your plans.
4.
Dress properly to
prevent burns and scars. Do not wear synthetics—dress in long-sleeved
cotton or wool shirts and jackets. Wear long pants. Gloves and long
pants may be important. Goggles can prove invaluable.
5.
As you evacuate:
·
Park car
in garage heading out with windows up and keys in ignition.
·
Close
garage door but don’t lock it. Disable auto garage door opener in event
of power failure.
·
Place
valuables and pets inside vehicle for quick departure.
·
Close
doors behind you as you evacuate to slow the fire.
·
If trapped
by fire as you evacuate in vehicle, park in an area clear of vegetation,
close windows and vents, cover yourself with blanket or jacket and lie
on floor.
·
If trapped
by fire as you evacuate on foot, avoid canyons and draws that can
channel fire, select an area clear of vegetation along a road or lie in
the road ditch. Cover exposed skin with blanket or jacket.
6.
If you stay, and it is your right to do
so as long as you don’t obstruct firefighters, the following will help
protect property:
Outside
-
Move yard furniture
into the house or garage.
-
Attach hoses with
nozzles to faucets and place to reach all areas of house.
-
Fill trashcans and
buckets with water and place them where firefighters can find them.
Also fill bathtubs and other containers. Soak rags and towels for
beating out embers and small fires.
-
Place ladders against
house on side opposite fire to assist firefighters in reaching your
roof. Keep wood shake or shingle roofs damp. Put a sprinkler on the
roof, but don’t turn it on until embers begin to fall.
-
Close window shutters
if fire resistant. Cover exposed windows, attic openings, eave and
sub-floor vents with fire resistant material such as ½ inch thick
plywood.
-
Make sure portable
pumps or generators for pools, ponds, wells or tanks are ready to run
and clearly marked.
Inside
·
Close all
interior doors, leaving them unlocked, windows and vents.
·
Turn on
all exterior and room lights to make the house more visible in smoke
and/or darkness.
·
Shut off
all propane valves and pilot lights.
·
Move
furniture to center of each room.
·
Remove
curtains and drapes. Close metal blinds.
If you remain in your
home as fire approaches, be sure all doors are closed and unlocked, and
avoid outside walls. Keep your whole family calm and together.
What to Do During a Fire
If you evacuate, review section above in “What to Do When
Wildfire Threatens.”
Additionally:
-
Keep tools available.
-
Stay as calm as
possible.
-
Drive safely, sharing
rides if you can.
-
Park completely off
the road to allow emergency vehicle access.
-
Close vehicle windows
and leave key in ignition.
If evacuation is
impossible because smoke, heat or flames block escape routes from the
house, stay in a room with doors closed.
If You Stay Inside:
-
Dial 911.
-
Keep your family
together, calm and in the center of the room. Avoid outside walls.
-
Open a window as long
as no smoke is entering the room and hang a bright cloth out to signal
for help.
-
Feel the door before
you exit a room. If it’s hot, don’t open it. Use the second way out.
-
Stuff sheets, blankets
and towels in cracks around doors and heating and air conditioning
vents to keep out smoke and gases.
-
If your clothes catch
fire, STOP, DROP & ROLL!
If You Remain and Work
Outside:
-
Work safely and use
your home as a shelter when evacuation’s not possible.
-
If you choose to
suppress fire on your property:
·
The best
method of suppressing fire is to use a motorized pump with a pool or
pond, connected to hose lines and nozzles.
·
Dirt can
be effective at knocking down flames by spreading it at the base of the
flames.
·
Wet burlap
or towels can be used to beat out flame.
·
Fireline
scraped to mineral soil and constructed to a width 11/2 times the height
of adjacent vegetation can be a barrier to fire spread.
What to Do After the Fire
Immediately after fire passes:
-
Check the roof immediately. Be careful, particularly
if the roof’s still wet. Extinguish all sparks and embers.
-
Check your attic interior for hidden embers.
-
Check all adjacent vegetation, wood and material piles,
and fence posts.
-
Check the remainder of the house, including the garage,
closets, etc., with great care.
-
For the next 12 hours, carefully check and recheck home
and yard. Be alert for smoke during the next week.
-
Do not try to rescue wildlife. Contact animal control
or CDFG.
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