How often do you and your family practice your fire escape plan? This report summarizes data from the fire module of the Second Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2). In the plan, at least two different ways of escape should be identified for each household resident, and a safe place should be designated outside of the home to meet after escaping the fire. 7 – 11 Home fire escape plans should be developed and practiced every six months. Developing and practicing a home fire escape plan are prevention strategies commonly taught in fire safety education programs so that reaction will be well rehearsed. 5īecause fires can grow and spread quickly through a home, it is important that residents be prepared to react as soon as the smoke alarm sounds.
fire departments occur in homes without alarms and 70% of home fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarm or homes in which none of the smoke alarms sounded. 5 Despite availability of this prevention method, 40% of fires reported to U.S. If a fire occurs in a home with a smoke alarm, the risk of death is decreased by 40%–50%. 5, 6 Testing means physically pressing the test button on the smoke alarm, either by hand or with an object such as a broom handle (if hard to reach), and holding it for several seconds until it sounds. It is recommended that smoke alarms be tested every month to ensure that they work properly and batteries in conventional smoke alarms be replaced once a year. 4 Regular testing ensures that alarms remain functional. The use of smoke alarms has been shown to be an effective, reliable, and inexpensive method of providing early warning in residential fires. Most residential fires and associated injuries are preventable. 2, 3 Although the number of fatalities and injuries caused by residential fires has declined gradually over the past several decades, this remains a significant public health problem. 1 Most victims of fires are injured and die from smoke inhalation or toxic gases and not from burns. In 2004, more than 410,500 residential fires in the United States claimed the lives of 3,190 people and injured another 14,175.
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