When I was a young boy, 12 or 13 years old, I lived down in Sarasota, Florida. My Favorite thing to do in the summer was to fly a kite and I used to do it right in the street in the subdivision where I lived. I would start out in the street and inevitability I would end up flying the kite in one of my neighbors yard. On one occassion as I was flying the kite standing in the yard I noticed a wierd smell coming from the neighbors home. On further investigation I also found that the windows were a dark color and they showed signs of heat with black soot above the window on the exterior of the house. With my heart racing out of my chest I got my kite down, which seem to take forever and ran around to the front door. I knocked on the door over and over again trying to get somebody to answer the door with no success. As I knocked I noticed that the door was shaking with every hit and I tried the door to see if it was locked. Well to my surprise I found that the door was locked but it was actually ajar so I opened it up just enough for me to see inside the house. I will never forget what I saw and the image has stay with me to this day. A lady was lying on the floor and she wasn't moving. Of course this scared me to the point that I shut the door real quick and ran all the way home. Luckly my Dad was home and I was able to catch my breath long enough to tell him what I saw. He raced over to the house and went inside to find that she had already died. Wow! I remember being so upset and actually the feelings I felt comes back to me as I write this. It really effected me and I believe that to this day it has made me so aware of what can happen in a house fire. The EMT told my Dad that they thought she was smoking in bed and somehow it caught the mattress on fire and when she woke up it scared her so bad that she had a heart attack before she could get out of the house. The fire had happened 8 or 9 hours before I discovered her and it went out by itself. Please take a few minutes to go over these fire safety tips that can save your life! |
A house fire at any time can put you and your family's lives in great danger. Yet, fire experts say you can dramatically reduce the risk of injury or death by just following these five simple safety tips:
1. Make sure your house number is visible from the street so emergency vehicles can find you. Consider using oversized reflective or illuminated numbers at the curb, preferably next to your mailbox.
2. Install smoke detectors in places where they will activate in time for you to save yourself and family. This is usually within a foot of the ceiling. Make sure you test them monthly by pressing the "test" button, and replace batteries at least once a year. Don't rely on the alarm to make an intermittent "beep" to change batteries.
3. Create a fire escape plan with an emergency route for each family member's bedroom. If bedrooms are on the second floor, purchase a simple chain ladder for escape from windows. Arrange for a safe family meeting place outside the home in the event fire strikes. This way you can account for each family member instantly.
4. Place an adequately sized fire extinguisher near the kitchen area of your home. Also, place one at the opposite end of the home. Most homes use undersized extinguishers. Even if a small fire breaks out, you will want all the suppression you can get.
5. Remove all weeds, tree branches, leaves, and litter away from the perimeter of your home. Put a screen on your fireplace and keep it closed at all times. It's best to sleep with your bedroom door closed to give yourself more time to escape in case of a fire. And teach your children what to do if their clothes catch fire: Stop, Drop, and Roll.
I hope this true story will make you take a look at your own house today.
Make It A Great Day!
Comments (3)Subscribe to CommentsComment