Fire Safety Information
Smoking Out the Facts About Home Fire Detection
Fire is a deadly threat to any household. It can strike anywhere, at any time. The frightening truth is that in 2000, there were nearly 370,000 home fires in the U.S. resulting in over 20,000 injuries and deaths combined. You must be prepared by using the tools for fire protection.
Smoke alarms provide an early warning of fire. Smoke alarms are the easiest, most cost-efficient way to alert your family of a developing fire. The more smoke alarms you have installed in your home, the more your chances increase that you will survive the fire.
Using smoke alarms in your home, along with knowing what to do in case of fire, can save your life! Fire is a preventable tragedy!
If you have any fire safety questions that are not answered on this site, or if you would like more information about Vs-Top smoke alarms, please contact us.
What do I need to know about fire?
Fire can and might happen to you! You must be prepared and have the knowledge to escape safely.
Fire is darker, smokier, hotter, and faster than you can imagine. You must know what fire is like in order to escape the danger safely. The following are four important facts to remember:
1.Fire is dark. Most people expect fire to be light. On the contrary, fire is pitch black. For this reason, people get trapped in their homes because they could not find their way out in the dark they didn''t have a flashlight and didn'''' practice an escape plan.
2.Smoke can kill. Since most fire fatalities occur between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. when most people are sleeping the only thing standing between the deadly fumes of fire and a safe escape is the piercing sound of a smoke alarm. The poisonous gases emitted by a fire actually put people into a deeper sleep and many suffocate without ever waking or even becoming aware of the fire. They die of smoke inhalation because they had no warning.
3.Fire has intense heat. Fire can cause the temperature to rise several hundred degrees in just seconds. The heat is so intense that it can cause the human body to stop functioning altogetherone breath can cause severe lung damage. The heat alone can cause someone to become unconscious and not be able to escape.
4.There is no time. A residential home can be totally consumed in flames in less than five minutes from the start of a fire! There is no time to waste. You must know what to do and you must get out. A closed door is often the best way to stall a fire. By closing the door, you may save yourself valuable seconds to use an alternate escape route.
I have one smoke alarm in my home. Is that enough protection against fire?
No, several smoke alarms must be installed and maintained for proper fire protection. Smoke alarms should be installed on every living level of the home, inside every bedroom, and in the main corridor outside each bedroom area. Installing and maintaining smoke alarms dramatically increases your family''s chances of surviving a fire.
Where should I install smoke alarms?
Where to install smoke alarms is the most important consideration in proper fire protection. Quite often, they are improperly located and are not easily accessible or do not work properly.
Many laws require that you install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home. The basic protection for any home would be to install one smoke alarm.
However, we suggest that you:
Install a minimum of two alarms even in single level homes.
Install a smoke alarm inside each bedroom as well as in the main corridor outside each bedroom area.
Install a smoke alarm above stairwells.
Other important considerations include:
1.Mount smoke alarms in the middle of the ceiling when ceiling mounted. If that is not possible mount detectors on the wall at least three feet away from a corner and 4 - 6 inches away from the ceiling.
2.Keep smoke alarms away from drafts created by fans or air ducts. The moving air can blow smoke away from the sensor.
3.Avoid placing smoke alarms too near the kitchen stove and bathroom shower.
4.Mount basement alarms at the bottom of the basement stairwell.
How do I select the right smoke alarms for my home?
First, establish how many you will need and where you will install each alarm
and extinguisher. Once you know which rooms will have smoke alarms, you can determine which features are best suited for that area.
Vs-Top offers area-of-use packaging that coordinates each product to a specific room in the home. In this way, you can purchase smoke alarms and fire extinguishers that have specialized features for the hallway, kitchen, workshop, child''s bedroom, or other specific locations. For example, the smoke alarm carton marked "Ideal for kitchen" has a silencing button that will quiet cooking false alarms for up to three minutes.
Most importantly, always choose a product which carries a local standards approval symbol. This will assure you that the product has passed many stringent tests and will offer quality protection.
What types of smoke alarms are there?
There are two basic types of smoke alarms: ionization and photoelectronic. Both are effective at detecting fire, yet each has a unique detecting system. Each type of detector also comes as AC-operated smoke alarms or battery-operated smoke alarms. Some AC alarms even come with a battery back-up system. Additional features can include an escape light, silencing button, or light test feature.
How do I maintain my smoke alarms once they are installed?
Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are relatively easy to maintain yet, improper maintenance is the biggest reason smoke detectors.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAINTAIN ALL YOUR SMOKE ALARMS:
WEEKLY TEST YOUR SMOKE ALARM BY PRESSING THE TEST BUTTON.
REPLACE THE BATTERY IN EACH SMOKE ALARM AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
NEVER REMOVE THE BATTERY EXCEPT WHEN REPLACING IT WITH A FRESH BATTERY.
CLEAN THE SMOKE ALARM AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
Following these simple instructions can mean the difference between a saved life and a fatal tragedy. Putting up smoke alarms and forgetting about them is not the way to protect your family - you must maintain them weekly and keep fresh batteries in smoke alarms for proper operation.
Follow the instructions in the product''s User''s Manual for specific instructions on how to install and maintain your smoke alarms.
Is there any other fire safety equipment that I need for my home?
Having working smoke alarms in your home greatly reduces your risk of dying in a fire. However, Vs-Top also recommends that you have flashlights in every bedroom in case of a fire emergency. Since fire is very dark, a reliable working flashlight can help light your way to safety.
What should I do if I hear the smoke alarm''s sound?
NEVER IGNORE THE SOUND OF A SMOKE ALARM. If the smoke alarm is sounding its alarm, there is a reason. You and your family must be able to escape quickly and safely. Here are several steps your family can learn and rehearse for an emergency:
1.Have an escape plan. Discuss and rehearse escape plans. Know two exits from any room in the house.
2.Feel if the door is hot. Always feel the door to see if it is hot before opening It to escape. If the doorknob or door is hot, do not use that exit. Use your alternate exit to escape.
3.Crawl on the floor. Smoke from a fire rises and so does the temperature. If you crawl on the floor there will be less smoke and the heat from the fire will be less severe.
4.Meet at a prearranged spot outside the home. If you clearly show where everyone is supposed to meet outside the home when there is a fire, it will be easier to know who is safe.
5.Call the fire department from a neighbor''s home. Be prepared to give your full name and address to the operator at the other end of the line. Stay on the line until the operator has all of the information needed.
6.Never go inside a burning building. Never return inside the house for any reason. The firemen willbe there soon and they have special gear and clothes that allow them to go into a fire.
IF you follow these basic fire safety tips, you will increase your family''s chances for survival in a fire.
How do I maintain my smoke alarms once they are installed?
Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are relatively easy to maintain yet, improper maintenance is the biggest reason smoke detectors. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAINTAIN ALL YOUR SMOKE ALARMS:
Keep the furnace in working order.
Use a fireplace screen.
Have proper ventilation for heaters and other small appliances.
Do not smoke in bed.
Use the correct size fuses.
Don''''t use worn out electrical wiring or run it under rugs or out windows or doors.
Clear refuse away-the less clutter, the less fuel a fire has to feed on.
At Vs-Top, your family''s fire safety is our first concern. But, we can''t do it alone. By properly equipping your home with smoke alarms you''ll be taking an important first step in providing total fire protection for your family. If you have any other questions regarding fire safety, please contact Vs-Top directly.
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