Teaching Your Family How to Escape a Home Fire

7/8/2022 (Permalink)

It’s safer to crawl out during a building fire instead of standing upright.

Each year there are thousands of home fires; therefore, it’s wise to teach your family some fire safety tips. Your family's safety can be increased by teaching them the following ways to escape a home fire.

1. Fire Crawl
   Smoke and heat rise, so it’s best to crawl out during a fire instead of standing upright. Teach your family two fire crawl methods: the dog and snake. The dog crawl involves getting down on your forearms and knees and placing your nose on the ground like a dog sniffing. The snake crawl is best if it’s too hot to have your bottom in the air.
2. Bed Roll
   Your family’s safety is your primary concern. Another method you should teach them is the bed roll. As the heat rises, the temperature of the area close to the ceiling can be more than a hundred degrees hotter than the space below. Instruct your family to turn to their side, reach their hand to the floor and gently roll off their bed without sitting up.
3. Door Check
   Closed doors help stop a fire from spreading faster. However, when a door is opened during a fire, it can ignite a burst of firefrom the fresh supply of oxygen. Coach your family to feel the closed door with the back of their hand first. If it’s cool or only slightly warm, they can slowly open the door leading with their shoulder. If it’s hot, they should choose another way to escape.
4. Other Tips
   Once your family understand the basic fireescape methods, it’s a good idea to discuss special circumstances. If they get trapped inside a room, teach them to go to a window to escape. If the room is not on the first floor, instruct them to yell for help and wave something so the firefighters know where they are. It’s also important to emphasize that once they get outside to stay outside.
   

Your family’s safety during a fire can be increased by teaching them how to escape. While you hope that your home never catches on fire, SERVPRO of Greeley/Windsor can assist you.  Call us at 970-353-1388.  We answer our phones 24/7/365 which puts our technicians onsite faster.