The idea of a potential fire in our home or office is not a pleasant one. One has to stay vigilant and active for such incidents. You need to know some expert ways to save yourself in case of a fire. You must keep the safety of your loved ones or employees into consideration. You have to make sure that you have taken the necessary measures to minimize the risks in case of a fire breakout.
It is imperative for you to prepare yourself for any fire that might break out in your office or home. Even if it happens in any public place or a mall, you must be prepared.
Before proceeding with what the experts have to say, let us tell you about some handy pointers for such emergencies.
1: Identify the Fire Exits
Wherever you are present, always keep fire exits in mind. If they are not marked, ask the concerned authority to mark it in case of a public place. Be sure to know where to go in an emergency.
2: Calling Fire Department
Be sure to call the fire department as soon as possible. Once you have established that there is indeed an emergency, the first thing to do is to call them. Give them the address of the incident and let them handle the rest. You can even hire Fire watch security in case of a fire.
3: Exit the Premises
Exit the premises of the incident as soon as you can. If there is smoke, make sure to avoid breathing in too much.
4: Avoid Elevators and Breaking Windows
Avoid using elevators in case of a fire. Instead, use stairs and fire exits. Elevators are likely to malfunction in a fire.
Similarly, avoid breaking any windows in a room or confined area. The air feeds the fire and makes matters much worse.
5: Stay Calm
The key to survival is to remain calm in situations like these. Panic, in such cases, limits your thinking capacity and leaves you helpless.
Now let us take a step further and tell you about some expert ways that can help you save yourself and somebody else’s life. Take these bits of advice into consideration to give yourself the maximum chance of survival. Note that there is no order to these steps. These steps depend upon specific situations and scenarios of emergency. These precautions will help you survive long enough for the firefighters to show up. Let them handle the emergency according to their protocol.
1. Install Smoke Detectors
Installation of smoke detectors serves as the priority step in any home, office, or any public place. These are especially useful if you live or work in a large building. Install these devices in crucial areas like doorways, rooms, and every floor. They let you know about any smoke earlier on, so handling of emergency becomes relatively easy. In case a fire breaks out, you can reach safety on time.
2. Keep an Eye on the Wiring
The most dangerous and fatal fires are electrical fires. Keep an eye on any or all-electrical circuitry in and out of the premises. Check any suspicious wiring at home or let the maintenance check it at the office. Frayed wiring may pose a significant threat to your safety and must be dealt with as soon as possible.
3. Be Mindful in the Kitchen
Ideally speaking, fires usually start from your kitchen. Whether you use a gas-powered or electric stove, chances of fire doubles in case left unattended. Never leave your kitchen during cooking or leave it unsupervised. Be careful while using cooking oil as you are working with high-intensity heat in the kitchen. Educate your children about the safety hazards of the kitchen. Moreover, never allow them anywhere close to an oven or a grill. Kitchen appliances need special handling from a user’s side.
4. Keep Fire Extinguishers in Vicinity
We recommend you to buy fire extinguishers as they can come in handy to extinguish a fire before it gets bigger. It is best to have more than one extinguisher in the house. It is ideal to have one for every room in-home or office. Take an extinguisher maintenance course to have a basic knowledge of operating a fire extinguisher.
This enables you to take control of any situation by knowing you have the tools and skillset to use it. Remember to also include rooms like garage and attics. Also, take note that the fire has many types, so you should know which extinguisher works best for curbing which one.
5. Creating Awareness
A sure way of combating fire emergencies is to create awareness among the public. Educating children and communities about the basic survival techniques and counters can help a lot. Creating awareness allows people to handle such situations with ease and keep it under control until the professionals arrive. Children, too, need proper training regarding the identification of similar situations both in schools and homes.
Creating awareness builds a reserve fire fighting force that keeps a situation under control until professionals arrive and take over.
6. Smoking with Safety
Even though smoking is harmful. However, to prevent inevitable fire mishaps, be sure to have your smoking break outdoors. Avoid smoking if someone uses oxygen cylinders at home. Always make sure your cigarette is completely put off before throwing the bud away. If you can, quit this habit altogether.
7. Have proper escape points
Your home or office must contain multiple escape points accessible from various locations. Once you have established these escape points, educate your family or employees about how to use them in case of an emergency.
There are certain cases where you are unable to do even reach these exit points. However, you should still make sure that your premises have exit points for your safety. Being prepared is better than having no fire safety or knowledge about what to do in an emergency.
The Final Word
A fire emergency is one of the most dangerous situations to handle. You need to stay vigilant and active to prevent it. However, in case it does happen, be calm, and make use of what you have learned about similar situations. Learn to use fire safety equipment properly to ease the situation. However, do not attempt to handle it by yourself. Once you have the situation in control, call the fire department immediately to have the professionals handle it. They have the proper means to take care of the situation if it gets out of hands.
Stay Safe and Stay Vigilant.