The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has ten easy ways to improve fire safety in everyone's home.  Check your home to see that your fire safety plans won't "go up in smoke."

1. Maintain smoke detectors.  

- Test the detector(s) every month.
- Replace batteries once a year.
- Don't be a "battery bandit;" Never borrow the batteries from a smoke detector.
- Never paint a smoke detector.
- Clean detectors with a vacuum cleaner - without removing cover.  Dust and cobwebs can reduce sensitivity to smoke.

Plan Your Escape

When a fire occurs, there's no time for planning. Sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping from a fire.

Draw a floor-plan of your home, marking two ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household.

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 count heads and inform ther fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building.

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

Make your exit drill realistic. Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire and practice alternative escape routes. Pretend that the lights are out and that some escape routes are filling with smoke.

Be Prepared

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.

If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape. Never use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning.

If you live in a two-story house, and you must escape from a second-story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults, 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.

Test doors before opening them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob, and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution.

If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight. If there's a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are.

Get Out Fast...

In case of fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place and then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone or an alarm box. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department.

Crawl low under smoke. Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. During a fire, cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when using your primary exit, use your alternate escape plan. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 centimeters) above the floor.

Burn injuries in the home can be prevented
In the kitchen

• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Stay nearby at all times when cooking, even with microwave ovens.
• Keep children and pets away from cooking food. Enforce a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet (1 meter) around your stove when cooking
• Turn pot handles inward. Never leave them sticking out where they could be bumped or grabbed by a small child.
• Don't leave spoons or other utensils in pots while cooking.
• Turn burners and ovens off when they're not in use.
• Keep plenty of sturdy oven mitts or pot holders near your cooking area. Using a wet pot holder can result in a severe steam burn.
• Do not toss wet foods into deep-fat fryers or frying pans containing hot grease or oil. The violent reaction between the fat and water will splatter hot oil.
• Remove the lids from pots of cooking liquids carefully to prevent steam burns. Remember, steam is hotter than boiling water.
• If a pan of food catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner. It is dangerous to attempt to carry the pan to the sink.
• In microwave oevens, use only containers designed for microwave use. Let microwave-cooked foods or liquids cool before carefully removing their covers.
• If you turn microwave foods during their cooking cycle, remember that the oven may be cool but the containers and food are very hot.

Hot Water

• Adjust your water-heater's thermostat to no more than 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) to prevent scalds.
• Always turn on the cold water faucet first, then add hot water.

Child Safety

• Keep matches and lighers out of children's reach -- up high, preferably in a locked cabinet. Use only child-resistant lighters.
• Do not allow children to play near woodstove or fireplace fires or around working space heaters.
• Cover unused wall outlets with safety caps and replace all damaged, frayed, or brittle electrical cords.
• Do not leave hot irons unattended.
• Do not leave barbecue grills unattended, and supervise children's cookout activities, such as toasting marshmallows.
• Teach your children that steam radiators, stove burners, irons, and other familiar household objects are sometimes hot and can burn them.
• Test bath water by carefully circulating hand and lower arm through it before putting children in the bathtub. Provide constant supervision while bathing children.

Types of Burns

There are seven common types of burns.

• Flame burns,caused by direct contact with fire.
• Radiation burns, caused by close exposure to fire or high heat.
• Scalds, caused by hot liquids or steam.
• Contact burns, the result of touching hot objects.
• Chemical burns, caused by contact with corrosive chemicals, such as battery acid.
• Electrical burns, caused by contact with live electrical wires.
• Ultraviolet burns, caused by overexposure to sun or to sun lamps.

A matter of degrees

Burns are classified by the amount of damage done to the skin and other body tissue. Every family member should be able to identify the severity of burns and know how to treat them.

• First-degree burns are minor and heal quickly. Symptoms: reddend skin; tender and sore.
• Second-degree burns are serious injuries and require immediate first aid and professional medical treatment. Symptoms: blistered skin; very painful
• Third-degree burns are sever injuries and require immediate professional medical treatment. Symptoms: white, brown, or charred tissue; often surrounded by blistered areas; little or no pain at first.

If your clothing catches fire: Stop, drop, and roll

The severity of injury caused by burning clothing can be reduced by following these three simple steps:

• Stop: Don't run.
• Drop: Drop immediately to the floor.
• Roll: Cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to smother the flames.

First aid for burns

Cool the burn: For first- and second-degree burns, cool the burned area -- preferably with cool running water for 10 to 15 minutes. This lowers the skin temperature, which stops the burning process, numbs the pain, and prevents or reduces swelling. Third-degree burns require immediate medical attention.

Remove burned clothing: Lay the victim flat on his or her back. Burned clothing may be stuck to the victim's skin. Unless material is on fire or smouldering, do not attempt to remove it. Remove jewelry or tight-fitting clothing from around burned areas before swelling begins and, if possible, elevate the injured areas.

Cover the burn: After a first- or second-degree burn has been cooled, apply a clean, dry dressing to the burned area.

Don't apply butter or any other grease (including medicated ointments) on a burn. Grease holds in heat, which could make the injury worse.

Don't break blisters: This could allow germs to enter the wound.

Treat for shock: To reduce the risk of shock, keep the victim's body temperature normal. Cover unburned areas with a dry blanket.

Smoke Detectors Save Lives

The majority of fatal home fires happen at night, when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the senses and put you into a deeper sleep.

Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Smoke detectors save so many lives most states have laws requiring them in private homes.

Plan And Practice

• Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound of the detectors alarm.
• Plan escape routes. Know at least two ways out of each room. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where all residents will gather after they escape. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
• Remove obstructions from doors and windows needed for escape.
• Make sure everyone in the household can unlock doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars should be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
• When an alarm sounds, leave immediately. Go directly to your outside meeting place and call the fire department.
• Once you're out, stay out. Never return to a burning building.

Check Your Detectors

Spring forward, fall back, and check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. When you change your clocks, also change the battery in your detectors. Developing this habit is a good way to remember a simple task that can save your life.

Space Heaters

Space heaters need space, too. As the weather gets cooler, space heaters come out of their summer hiding places. Remember to leave at least 3 feet of space around your heater. Unplug it when not in use.

Halloween Fire Safety Tips

Use a battery light instead of a candle in your favorite jack o' lantern.
Make sure that children's costumes are made of flame-retardant materials.
Make decorations of flame retardant materials or treat them with a flame-retardant solution.

Fire Drills

A fire is no fun, but practicing fire safety can be. Here are some fire safety rules that the whole family can practice together.

• Sketch the layout of each floor, including windows, doors, and stairways. Make sure that every family member is familiar with the layout.
• Work out TWO escape routes from each room and mark them clearly on the sketch.
• Hold frequent fire drills, including some at night, so everyone will know what to do and be able to act quickly in an emergency.
• Assign a member of the family to be responsible for the elderly or the very young to help them escape. A ‘buddy system’ should be organized to ensure their safety.
• Designate a meeting place outside of the home and instruct everyone to go there at once in case of fire.
• COUNT heads, stay together and DO NOT go back into the house for personal belongings.
• Now, have someone call the fire department from the nearest available phone by dialling 911.

Practice Child Safety

Every year hundreds of people are killed or bodily injured in fires where they live. The victims of fire are most often children, older people, or handicapped persons. Many of these fires are the result of accidents that could have been prevented. The elimination of all fire hazards is the key to any effective fire safety program. As most fires are the result of carelessness, the greatest element of safety comes from prevention.

• Keep trash in covered containers and dispose of it regularly.
• Store paints, paint thinners and other flammable materials in their original containers and in a well ventilated area, away from all fire sources.
• Clean work areas of paint, sawdust, or trash after every do-it-yourself project.
• Don’t overload circuits or use frayed electrical extension cords.
• Have all electrical wiring checked by a competent electrician periodically to make sure it is not faulty.
• Use only fuses and circuit breakers which bear the labels of nationally recognized certification and testing agencies.
• Never run an extension cord under a rug or behind curtains.
• Do not let large amounts of trash accumulate either indoors or outdoors. Clean attics, basements, closets, garages, and shedsfrequently.

The holidays are rapidly approaching and many a wide-eyed child will be bubbling with excitement as they anticipate the great and wondrous events of this Christmas season. To help ensure a merry Christmas and fire safe holiday season for everyone, the Ashland Fire Department suggests that several basic fire safety guidelines be observed.

Buy a fresh Christmas tree. If the needles are already falling off, the tree is too dry and should not be purchased. Once a tree is selected, leave it outside until it is time to decorate it. Be sure the tree is securely fastened in a sturdy holder filled with water. It is a good idea to trim at least a one-inch piece from the bottom of the tree after purchase. This increases the tree's ability to absorb water. During the period of time that your tree is indoors, water it regularly. Do not locate the tree in an area where it will be subjected to intense heat, such as near a woodstove or heater. Be careful not to block exit paths and doorways with the tree. Use Christmas lights which utilize lower wattage bulbs or are of the "twinkle" type. This type generates less heat under prolonged use. Be certain all light strings are in good condition and operating properly. Tighten bulbs in sockets to prevent arcing. Never use candles or any open flame device on Christmas trees. Don't overload electrical circuits by plugging too many cords into a single outlet. All circuits should be protected by the proper fuse, appropriately matched to the appliances being utilized. Christmas lights should always be turned off when no one is home or whenever everyone has retired for the evening.

Plug-in electric toys should be labeled by a fire safety testing agency. Don't buy highly combustible toys or ones that use flammable liquids. When you are entertaining guests in your home who smoke, provide large ash trays and check for cigarettes in upholstered furniture before going to bed. Cigarette fires are still the leading cause of fire fatalities in the home.

Please be careful and observe these simple fire safety rules, and enjoy a happy holiday season.

Grilling

Keep barbecue grills far away from anything that can burn -- your home, cars, dry vegetation, etc. Stay with the grill when lighted, and keep children and pets well away from the area. When barbecuing, protect yourself by wearing a heavy apron and an oven mitt that fits high up over your forearm. If you get burned, run cool water over the burn for 10 to 15 minutes. ( Tip: Don't use butter or a salve on burns because these seal in heat and can damage the tissue further.) If you receive a serious burn, with charred skin, for example, seek medical attention promptly. For more burn prevention and safety tips visit the Burn Prevention Foundation's web site.

Barbecue grills must never be used inside the home because, in addition to the fire hazard of indoor grilling, the grill can easily cause carbon monoxide poisoning. If lightning appears while you're grilling, seek shelter and wait for the storm to pass.

For charcoal grills, only use starter fluids (never use gasoline) designed for barbecue grills. Use a limited amount of starter fluid before lighting the fire. If the fire is too slow, rekindle with dry kindling and add more charcoal if necessary. Don't add liquid fuel to re-ignite or build up a fire, as flash fires can result. Soak the coals with water before you discard them and leave the grill away from the house until completely cool.

For gas grills, always store the gas cylinder outside - away from structures - and turn off the valves when not in use. Check frequently for any leaks in connections by using a soap-and-water mix that will show bubbles if gas escapes. When purchasing a gas grill, select one that bears the mark of an independent testing laboratory. Follow manufacturer's instructions and if needed, have it repaired by a trained professional.

Fireworks

The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend an outdoor public display put on by professionals. Pyrotechnic devices (better known as
fireworks) are designed to burn and explode, and are a leading cause of injuries in the U.S. Every year, fireworks used by amateurs cause thousands of injuries serious enough to require emergency room treatment. Children between the ages of 10
and 14 are at greatest risk of injury from fireworks. In 1995, more than 11,000 people suffered severe fireworks injuries in the United States, including burns, lacerations, amputations, and blindness. NFPA recommends that all fireworks -- including devices considered Legal"-- be used only by trained professional pyrotechnicians. Even sparklers, often mistaken as safe, burn as hot as 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave any area where amateurs (adults included) are using these devices, and do not pick up or touch found fireworks.

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