Hotel / Motel Fire Safety Tips

HOME EVACUATION DRILLS

Have an Exit Plan!
Develop a fire escape plan and conduct evacuation drills regularly (at least every 6 months).  When fire detection warning devices activate, there are less than four (4) minutes to escape. 

Planning Your Evacuation: 

1.      Prepare carefully, perform regular drills, and place fire detection warning devices in appropriate places. 

2.      Make a drawing or floor plan of the home showing possible exits. 

3.      Show 2 avenues of escape from every room.  If a window is high above the ground, you may need to buy a special fire escape ladder.  Make sure windows can open (no painted or nailed shut). 

4.      Develop methods of alerting family members:  smoke alarms, whistling, shouting and pounding on the walls.  Take special precautions for children and others requiring assistance. 

5.      Sleep with bedroom doors closed.  This will keep out deadly smoke, heat and gases, and increase available escape time. 

6.      Designate a safe meeting area after exiting the structure.  DO NOT go back into a burning dwelling! 

7.      Use a neighbor’s phone to call the fire department.  Know the phone number! 

8.      Exit drills should include primary escape routes and meetings in the designated safe area.

Special Plans – Children, Elderly & Disabled

 Children:
1.      Practice drills with adults. 

2.      Emphasize the danger of trying to hide from a fire.  Stress the importance of getting out fast, staying out, and getting out by themselves if possible. 

3.      Teach children how to use the phone and call emergency services. 

4.      Have infants/young children sleep in rooms next to parents or older siblings. 

5.      Teach “stop, drop and roll” and cover the face with hands if clothes catch fire. 

Elderly:
1.      Arrange appropriate sleeping arrangements on ground floor if possible. 

2.      Install a smoke detector and telephone in or near their room. 

Disabled:
1.      Learn visual signaling systems for hearing impaired persons. 

2.      Develop a whistling or shouting system for those visually impaired. 

3.      Have mentally impaired individuals sleep near someone who can assist them.  Frequently review your exit plans. 

4.      Design a special escape route for those who are physically handicapped.

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FIRE EXTINGUISHER TIPS 

Placement of Fire Extinguishers:
Fire extinguishers (multi-purpose ABC types) should be kept at readily available locations near potential fire sources (furnaces and stoves). 

There should be a minimum of one fire extinguisher on each level of a dwelling and one in the garage.

Operation of Fire Extinguishers:
Contents will empty fast so proper use is essential.  Stand 6-8 feet from the fire.  Aim at the base of the fire and sweep from side to side. 

Fire Extinguisher Classifications:
It is critical that the proper extinguisher be used.  Not only might the fire not be extinguished, the flames could increase!

A:  Ordinary combustibles – wood, paper, trash.
B:  Greases, oils, gasoline, paint, etc.
C:  Electrical wiring, plugs, equipment, etc. 

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HOME FIRE SAFETY TIPS 

Throughout the House: 

·        DO install a smoke detector on every floor.

·        DO plan your escape routes in case a fire does start.

·        Install residential fire sprinklers. 

In Bedrooms: 

·        DO NOT smoke in bed!

·        DO NOT place heaters within three feet of flammable materials.

·        DO NOT use heaters to dry clothes.

·        DO NOT use extension cords with portable heaters.

·        DO NOT leave heaters unattended or go to sleep while they are on.

·        DO unplug heaters after you turn them off. 

In the Living/Family Room: 

·        DO NOT put ashtrays on chair and sofa arms.

·        DO NOT run electrical cords under rugs, over nails, or in high traffic areas.

·        DO NOT leave cigarettes unattended burning in ashtrays.

·        DO NOT staple electrical cords to walls or otherwise pierce the insulation.

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SMOKE DETECTOR TIPS 

Maintenance:
Vacuum and test your smoke detectors monthly. 

Change detector batteries every 6 months.  A good way to remember to do this is:  When you change your clock forward in the spring or backward in the fall, change your smoke detector batteries!

Placement of Smoke Detectors:
Consider which areas of the house need protecting, where fire sources would be the most dangerous, and how many are needed.  There should be one smoke detector on each level of a dwelling. 

Sleeping Areas:
Bedrooms need the most protection.  Place at least one detector in a hallway outside bedroom(s).  If the hallway is longer than 30 feet, detectors should be installed at each end of the hallway.  Maximum protection is provided by a detector in each bedroom, to supplement those in the hallway. 

Living/Family Room:
Keep detectors away from fireplaces or wood stoves to avoid false alarms. 

Kitchen: 
Keep detectors away from cooking fumes to avoid false alarms.

Hall and Stairwell:
Place unit at top of each stairwell and at each end of a long hallway. 

Basement:
Mount unit on ceiling at top of stairway, away from exhaust from furnace or water heater.

For more information on Smoke Detectors and Smoke Alarms:
www.firehouse.com/infozone/usfa/smokalarms.html 

Contact your fire department if you have any questions on installation.

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KITCHEN FIRE SAFETY TIPS 

General Tips: 

·        DO NOT leave food cooking unattended on the stove.  If you must leave the kitchen, tack a wooden spoon or potholder as a reminder that something is cooking.

·        DO NOT cook wearing sleeves that can dangle near or touch the burners.

·        DO NOT use the over to heat your home.

·        DO NOT let grease build up on your stove or oven.

·        DO NOT let crumbs build up in your toaster.

·        DO NOT overload electrical outlets with appliances.

·        DO NOT let curtains hang near your stove or oven.

·        DO check the kitchen before going to bed.  Is the oven off?  Coffee pot unplugged? 

Killing Kitchen Grease Fires: 

How kitchen fires start:  Ten minutes after grease or cooking oil overheats, an acrid aroma is emitted.  Ten minutes after that, smoke and vapors fill the room.  Vapors are ignited by the burner – and a fire starts!  Remember, never leave cooking food unattended! 

·        DO NOT PANIC!

·        COVER burning pan with a lid or other metal object at least as wide as the pan opening.

·        DO NOT use water, sugar, flour or baking powder.

·        TURN OFF the burner.

·        DO NOT CARRY a burning pan!  Let it cool completely before moving it off the stove.

·        IMPROPER use of a fire extinguisher can spread grease and flames to a wider area.  LEARN how to use your kitchen fire extinguisher so that is can be used effectively – especially if the fire has spread from a pan onto other surfaces.

·        ALWAYS CALL the FIRE DEPARTMENT (from a neighbor’s phone if necessary) if the fire gets out of control or the flames are extinguished and there is a chance the fire could restart.

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