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Keep
it low
If
you don't live in an apartment building, consider sleeping in a room
on the ground floor in order to make emergency escape easier. Make
sure that smoke alarms are installed
near any sleeping area, and have a telephone installed where you sleep
in case of emergency.
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Sound
the alarm
The majority of fatal fires
occur when people are sleeping, and because smoke can put you into a
deeper sleep rather than waking you, it's important to have a
mechanical early warning of a fire to ensure that you wake up. If
anyone in your household is deaf or if your own hearing is diminished,
consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light,
vibration and/or higher decibel sound to alert you to a fire
emergency. Contact
NFPA´s Center for High-Risk Outreach
for a list of product manufacturers.
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Do
the drill
Conduct your own, or participate
in, regular fire drills to make sure you know what to do in the event
of a home fire. If you or someone you live with cannot escape alone,
designate a member of the household to assist, and decide on backups
in case the designee isn't home. Fire drills are also a good
opportunity to make sure that everyone is able to hear and respond to
smoke alarms.
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Open
up
Make sure that you are able to
open all doors and windows in your home. Locks and pins should open
easily from inside. (Some apartment and
high-rise buildings have windows designed not to open.) If you
have security bars on doors or
windows, they should have quick-release mechanisms inside so that they
can be opened easily. These mechanisms won't compromise your safety,
but they will enable you to open the window from inside in the event
of a fire. Check to be sure that windows haven't been sealed shut with
paint or nailed shut; if they have, arrange for someone to break the
seals all around your home or remove the nails.
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Stay
connected
Keep a telephone nearby, along
with emergency phone numbers so that you can communicate with
emergency personnel if you're trapped in your room by fire or smoke.
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Read
more
See
NFPA's nursing home safety fact sheet.
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