Last year Home fires claimed the lives of seven persons in the Bahamas, six of the persons dying were of Haitian decent which lead the Fire Department to launch a program earlier this month to educate their community about fire safety and prevention. Despite their efforts, this week begins with two more fire deaths and again those involved were of Haitian decent. While the Haitian community has paid the greatest price, in terms of the number of lives lost, fire can affect us all. But how many of us are prepared for the eventualities of a fire?
In preparation for this article, I asked ten homeowners the following three questions:
1. Is your house equipped with a smoke detector?
2. Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home?
3. When was the last time you checked your home for fire risks?
The result were staggering, of the ten persons, three houses had smoke detectors, and none had fire extinguishers or had checked for fire hazards around their home in the last twelve months. If you were asked the same questions, what would your answers be?
Through out your house there may be fire hazards, so it's worth walking into every room of your house specifically to check for fire risks. If you go looking for danger signs, you might be surprised by how many you find.
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By using some of the following precautions, you can help to protect
your home, yourself and your loved ones from the possible danger of a fire.
ﾷ A Smoke Alarm is an absolute must have for every home. It will dramatically reduce your chances of dying or being injured in a fire.
ﾷ A smoke Alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you precious time to escape. It's cheap, easy to get hold of and easy to fit. There's no excuse for not having one. But many people who have smoke alarms are in danger too. The alarm could be in the wrong place, there may not be enough smoke alarms for the size of their home, they may not have checked their alarm recently or the batteries could be missing.
ﾷ It's a good idea to have a Fire Extinguisher, kept mounted on the wall in an easily accessible position. If a small fire starts and you have time to deal with it without putting yourself at risk, an extinguisher will enable you to put it out quickly and effectively. But make sure you know how to use the extinguisher and that you use the right sort of extinguisher depending on the kind of fire.
ﾷ Do not attempt to fight the fire if it has spread beyond its immediate area. It's too large and your extinguisher will last only 3 to 20 seconds.
ﾷ A home Sprinklers System can give you powerful extra protection. It will stop a fire before it takes hold.
ﾷ Make a fire Action Plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire. After you have planned, practice your escape route with your family and agree upon a meeting area to make sure everyone is accounted for during an emergency.
ﾷ Never leave small children at home unattended or in locked house. The most recent deaths may have resulted from this happening.
ﾷ Windows and doors with security bars must have quick release devices to allow them to be opened quickly in the event of an emergency and all family members should know how to open them.
ﾷ Never leave lit candles unattended
ﾷ If someone smokes in your house, use proper ashtrays and make sure they can't be knocked over easily. Avoid a build-up of ash, butts and used matches. Wet the contents of the ashtray before putting it in the bin.
ﾷ Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully.
ﾷ Never smoke in bed.
ﾷ Keep matches and lighters where children can't reach them.
ﾷ Take care in the kitchen! Accidents whilst cooking account for a large percentage of fires in the home. Make sure to keep a charged 5 lb. Fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
ﾷ Store all flammables (i.e. Gas, turpentine, paints, propane, etc) in an outdoor shed. Never clean anything with gas or turpentine inside your home. Gas vapours are heavier than air and will settle near the floor. Any spark can trigger an explosion or flame, for example, a spark from a stove.
ﾷ Be careful with cleaning supplies. Certain products when mixed together can be lethal. For example, chlorine and bleach mixed together can explode. Chlorine is highly flammable and must be stored outside.
ﾷ Gas-soaked rags should never be crumpled up and tossed in a corner
or in a cardboard box or thrown out with paper, cardboard, etc. The gas will heat up instead of evaporating causing the rag to ignite. Air the rags outside by laying them flat so the gas can evaporate.
ﾷ Check electric cables for worn or taped up cables or leads. These can be dangerous so you should replace them. Don't put cables under carpets or mats where they can become worn and never overload your electrical outlets.
ﾷ Dangerous wiring, watch out for hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow for no obvious reason, flickering lights, scorch marks on sockets or plugs. They're all signs of loose wiring or other problems.
ﾷ Make sure lights aren't positioned near curtains and other materials that could burn.
ﾷ Never replace a burnt fuse with a penny.
ﾷ Never re-enter a burning house to try to save valuables or even to rescue a pet.
Finally, remember that fire safety and prevention is everybody's business. Excuses Kill! It you rent It's not your landlord's responsibility you must take proactive steps to ensure that your home, yourself and your loved ones are protect from the possible dangers of a fire.
Glenn S. Ferguson, FLMI, HIA, founded Comprehensive Insurance Agents & Brokers & Comprehensive Consulting to assists both large, multi-national corporations, as well as smaller family owned businesses with their insurance decision-making. Glenn has been helping individuals and businesses in the Bahamas with their insurance needs for the last 18 years. He is a Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI); Associate of The Health Insurance Association of America (HIA) and a licensed insurance broker.
