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Show Fire safety begins with home checklist Home is where the heart is: It's where we live. And, it's where too many of us die in fires 6,000 each year, says the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Take the time for a fire-safety check for your home. Heating Central heating systems gas, oil or electric should receive an annual check-up by a skilled technician to ensure their proper operation. Chimneys should be cleaned as needed if you use your fireplace frequently, once a year is smart. Space heaters should be used with care. If you have toddlers, put a little fence around the heater to keep young hands away. HI Space heaters, despite their popularity, pose fire and asphyxiation asphyxi-ation hazards that some fire authorities consider unacceptable. Check with your fire department for information. Wiring Are your circuits adequate for the loads you put on them heating, lighting, entertainment and cooking? If you use an abundance of extension cords at your house, you need new outlets. Have a licensed electrician install additional service before that extension cord causes a fire of shock injury. Make sure the cords you must use do not run under rugs or across traffic areas where they may become trampled and worn. Cooking Keep an ABC-rated extinguisher handy in the kitchen, next to an exit doorway. Remember, if a pan catches fire, use the extinguisher or smother it with the lid don't try to carry it outside! Storage How long since you cleaned out your storage areas? Make sure oily rags, flammable liquids, solvents, paints, etc. are thrown away or sealed in metal cans. Keep all flammable liquids out of children's reach and remove all possible sources of ignition when using them. last but not least: Is your family prepared to escape from fire? You're risking their lives unless you've installed a UL-listed smoke detector in the hallway outside your sleeping areas. Extra detectors mean added safety, so don't be stingy. Then develop and practice a home fire escape plan. Teach all family members to crawl outside (the best air is near the floor) to a predetermined meeting place when the smoke alarm sounds. Provide second-floor bedrooms with emergency emer-gency ladders so occupants can escape if fire blocks their doorway. More than half of all fires are preventable. living in a fire-safe home can make tragedy the most unwelcome guest of all. |