Daylight Savings Fire Safety: Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery |
By First Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Klein | |
March 12, 2018 | |
Firefighters know the importance of home fire safety. That's why the men and women of the Bedford Fire Department encourage participation in the semi-annual home fire safety program called: Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery! Sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Energizer brand batteries, the program urges you to adopt a simple lifesaving habit: Change ALL of your Smoke Alarm batteries when you change your clocks. Protecting your home is simple: Change, Check, Count, and Clean *Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries *Check Your Smoke Alarms *Count Your Smoke Alarms It's best to have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home, including the basement. To assure optimal protection and avoid false alarms, your smoke alarms must be mounted properly. You will find installation instructions included with every smoke alarm you purchase. Should questions remain, we encourage you to visit or contact us for help. *Clean Your Smoke Alarms To best protect your home and family, we also suggest: *Retire Old Smoke Alarms! *Plan and Practice Your Escape! Create at least two different escape routes from every room and practice them with the entire family. Be sure all family members know the lifesaving practice of crawling below the dangerously thick smoke and intense heat of a fire. All capable members of the family must learn how to open windows and remove screens or security bars. Purchase, plan and practice using a collapsible emergency escape ladder that can be stored inside near upper floor windows. Realism is essential in your family's practice, as is your clear designation of a meeting place for everyone to gather outside the home in case of a fire or other emergency. Remember, this may be the only practice and discussion you will have before tragedy strikes! When a fire occurs, don't delay! Get out quickly and stay out!! Escape first, closing doors behind you if possible. Gather at your meeting place and then notify the Fire Department by calling 9-1-1 from a safe location. Your Firefighters are specially trained and equipped to rescue your family and pets, as well as to protect your possessions. Help your firefighters by remaining together OUTSIDE the home and directing them to endangered family or valuables. *Install Fire Extinguishers *Change Your Flashlight Batteries! We hope this simple list of tips from the Bedford Fire Department will help keep your family safe. Please remember that fire prevention is your best course of action. |
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