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Show Fire Safety Considerations Outlined By New York City Fire Chief middle of the night. When people wake up their first reaction is to get up and leave their bedroom which is exactly the wrong thing to do. If there is dense smoke in the room -- and it is often difficult for sleepy persons to be sure in dark rooms -- you should not stand up as you might be overcome by the toxic gases. Since there will be less smoke near the floor, roll out of bed and crawl to the door. If the door or door knob is very hot, do not open it. People who have opened hot doors are sometimes blown across the room by heat and smoke. Instead, seal the cracks of the coor with anything handy, open a window and call 911, which is the emergency number for both police and fire departments. depart-ments. (For fire emergencies, emer-gencies, it is definitely a plus to have a telephone in the bedroom, according to firefighters.). fire-fighters.). Alert other members of the family by calling to them, but don't open the door. Clearly, families that have practiced fire drills will be less apt to panic. If Dossible. leave the bedroom by another door or window; but tenants in high-rise buildings will probably prob-ably have no alternative but to lie down on the floor and wait to be rescued. If the apartment is just a little smokey, check the front door to see if it is hot. If not, crack the door open, but don't leave if the hallway is hot and full of smoke. "More victims are found in hallways and staircases than in their own - apartments," said Chief John Fogarty, commander of the Manhattan Manhat-tan fire district. "People think, 'it won't happen to me,' " said Deputy Fire Chief John Smith, the executive officer of the Manhattan Borough Command. "But when they read about the catastrophe in the Las Vegas hotel, they realized that it could happen to them," he added, referring refer-ring to the fire in the MGM Grand hotel, which killed more than 80 people. Last year, there were 114,370 fires in the city and 247 persons, including three firefighters, died. Most were killed by smoke inhalation; inhala-tion; a great many in their sleep by odorless carbon monoxide. Nationally, 1,180 persons died during fires in apartment buildings and 4,320 in one- and two-family residences. "Escape planning is not a very sexy topic and people ignore it," said Michael Skenkman, a spokesman for the National Fire Protection Association because residential resi-dential fires are predictable in many ways, they can be survived by taking some precautions and planning ahead. Smoke and heat detectors, which cost $20 to $30, are the first line of defense. Because fires are most frequently started by a cigarette that has been smoldering in an upholstered sofa or chair for hours, a smoke or heat detector can alert homeowners long before be-fore the fire becomes lethal. Smoke detectors give an earlier warning than heat detectors, but heat detectors are preferable in areas where there are extremes of hot and cold or where it is very dusty. Heat detectors are gen erally used in kitchens, where smoke alarms tend to emit false alarms, and in attics and basements. Smoke alarms should be installed just outside bedrooms bed-rooms or sleeping areas, in hallways on each level of a residence and in living rooms. The best location is the center of the ceiling and the second best is on a wall six to 12 inches down from the ceiling; the chosen wall should be near such fire hazards as sofas and chairs. The only other piece of equipment that firefighters recommend is a multipurpose multi-purpose fire extinquisher, known as an ABC dry checmical model, which costs $18 to $60 depending on the size. Extinguishers, however, should be used only by persons who have become familiar with them. The most important rule is that the chemical be sprayed at the base of small fires; otherwise, the spray may actually spread the fire across the room. In addition, the extin- guisher should be used only at the very start of a fire and only if the fire does not have the potential to block escape routes. The amateur firefighter fire-fighter should have his back facing the escape route. Before using the extinguisher, extin-guisher, of course, the fire department should be called and all occupants should have been evacuated or prepared to evacuate the house. Rope fire ladders are useful, according to firefighters, fire-fighters, but only for climbing climb-ing down from small buildings. build-ings. Most fires occur in tVio |