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10 Things You Must
Know .....
DO NOT PANIC
The No.1 Rule of
any emergency situation - Do NOT Panic! Take a deep breath and think,
if you do not know what to do just act logically and stay calm. Panicking
leads to silly mistakes and irrational actions.
Always Leave Keys
in Deadlocks at Night.
Should a fire start
at night it can be hard to find keys especially in pitch-black or thick
smoke. Every door which you need a key to exit - make sure the key is
on the inside of the lock every night. If you also have security grills
on windows make sure they can be opened from the inside or they will
restrict or prevent your escape from a house fire.
Smoke Alarms Save
Lives!
Most house fires
occur at night, installing smoke alarms can make the difference between
saving your life (and that of your family members) and increases the
chance of the fire being discovered early enough to limit its spread
and damage caused. Smoke alarms are a valuable insurance for your family
at a very small cost.
Learn First Aid
This is the single
most effective way of insuring your own and your family's life. Simple
First Aid can make the difference between life and death for someone
you love. Its not hard but its very valuable knowledge.
Get Down Low in
Smoke
By simply getting
down low on the ground and crawling you can keep yourself clear or toxic
smoke and extreme heat. Heat rises so the lower down you get the cooler
and clearer the air is.
Protect Yourself
from Radiant Heat at Fires
If confronted by
fire many people do not wear appropriate clothing. Fire-fighters wear
protective clothing designed to protect them from Radiant Heat. While
you may not have a fire-fighter's uniform you need to wear natural fibre
clothing which means it is made of cotton, wool or denim type materials.
Polyester and other synthetic clothing will burn easily as will any
unprotected skin or hair. In a major fire you do not need to actually
touch flames to burn, so cover up and be safe.
Treat Burns with
Cool, Running Water
People with burns
need to be cooled with cool, running water. Do not apply butter, oils
or creams or ointments. Keep the water running for at least 10 minutes
and seek medical advice urgently for: infants, elderly or those with
other medical conditions such as diabetes, burns to face, genitalia
or hands, burns that are deep or larger than 2cm diameter or if the
person has inhaled a lot of smoke - if in doubt get medical advice.
How to Use Fire
Extinguishing Equipment
Read the instructions
on every Fire Extinguisher or Fire Blanket you have to familiarise yourself
with them. Always read the instructions prior to using them as well,
many extinguishers look similar but are not suitable for all types of
fires and may operate differently.
Where to Find Fire
Exits and Extinguishers
It may not be something
you have ever noticed before but take the time to familiarise yourself
with Fire Exits and Extinguishers where-ever you go. Your workplace
should have both marked emergency exits and fire extinguishers or fire
blankets. Get to know where they are and what extinguishers are available
for use on what type of fires. When you are in large buildings such
as shopping complexes, hotels or multistory offices, take note of the
Fire Exits so that you are prepared in any emergency.
Be Prepared
A little prior preparation
can make the world of difference in an emergency. Have fire plans that
everyone in the home knows. Know what to do in any case of emergency
- fire, flood, severe storm, earthquake or whatever disaster your area
is prone to. In a major disaster every emergency service will be stretched
to the limit. We as a fire service cannot put a Fire Truck at every
home under threat of a bushfire - we will do what we can, but we need
to rely on you doing what you can in the way of prevention. Prevention
is better than any cure!
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