Eielson families should practice fire prevention

  • Published
  • By Compiled from staff reports
  • 354th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 7-13.

The theme for Fire Prevention Week 2007 is the focus on home escape planning and practicing. Only 23 percent of households have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.

Have you developed and practiced your home escape plan?

If not, here's how:

Draw a simple floor plan of your home showing all exits, including windows. Sit down with everyone in your home, talk about the two best ways to get out of each room, and mark those exits on your plan.

Make sure all exits are clear. Decide on a safe meeting place outside the home where everyone will gather after they have escaped a fire. Be sure everyone knows the emergency phone number of the local fire department (911). Make sure everyone knows the sound of the smoke alarm and when it sounds to get out and stay out.

Now practice it

Send everyone to his or her bedroom and sound the smoke alarm. Go directly to your meeting place and make sure everyone has escaped. Close off some exits and pretend they're blocked by smoke or flame.

In a real fire, you should call the fire department from a neighbor's phone or a mobile phone only after you have left the building. In a real fire, you must move quickly, carefully, and calmly.



Keeping Time

In the United States, in 2005

· A fire department responded to a fire every 20 seconds.

· An outdoor fire was reported every 39 seconds

· One home fire was reported every 83 seconds.

· A structure fire was reported every 62 seconds.

· One civilian was injured in a fire every 29 minutes.

· One civilian died in a fire every 2 hours and 23 minutes.