The Importance of Fire Safety and Preparedness at Home

Fire is often depicted as a “living substance consuming both oxygen and matter in order to survive”. The heat and smoke from the fire can be more dangerous than the fire itself. Inhalation of burning hot smoke can immolate your lungs. The smell of burning wood can make you dizzy and disoriented because it creates toxic gases that lowers your alertness level. If fire is here, is it really game over? According to the national analysis of home fire deaths, we can predict who is most likely to die in a home fire like people who are: oblivious, living in poverty, and ignorance or lack of education. Even your smallest careless actions can bring disastrous events so it is very important to be always vigilant. Families who live in deprivation with insufficient safety units can still practice fire escape plan. Always be prepared and be aware of your surroundings.

Firstly, carelessness and irresponsibility can bring you harm because you think little actions can’t bring anything. During the lifetime of average household, chances are 2 to 1 that there will be an accidental fire. Simple actions like throwing a lit cigarette, unattended open appliances, and forgetting that you are cooking something. One simple careless action can burn 1,500 homes, kill 6,500 people, and injure 280,000. Once a fire blazed in a room containing flammable materials; it will induce heat, which can heat up and ignite additional combustible materials. Depending on the combustibility of the ignited fuel, the fire may develop as a slow-growth scenario with a long smoldering period or it may grow rapidly with almost no smoldering time. Some types of fire are particularly dangerous because it continuously burns, emitting heat and smoke without producing any fire. Extreme fire accidents cause fractured infrastructures, fragmented furniture, and residences with health-related sickness. It is important to install and maintain smoke alarms and alert equipment to reduce death, injuries, and property damage in home fires. Evacuation signals must be both audible and visible in the house to alert everyone.

Secondly, people who live in austerity mostly have insufficient safety units installed in their house. Always be observant and call for help when you notice something unnatural happens. A trivial house fire can rage out of control in second to minutes. Learn how to avoid a house fire and how to survive one. Whenever fire occurs, remember that every second counts, so you and your family must always be prepared. Escape plans help you get out of your home immediately. Find two ways to get out of each room in the event the main exit is blocked by fire or smoke. A backup route may be a window onto a neighboring roof or backdoor. Train yourself in feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed to avoid dizziness. Instruct your children not to hide from firefighters, instead teach them how to call the nearest fire department.

Make electronic copies of important documents and records like birth certificates. Contact your local fire department for information on training on the proper use and maintenance of public fire extinguisher. Based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 366,600 residential structure fires per year from 2007–2011. These fires resulted in an estimated 2,570 civilian fire fatalities, 13,210 civilian injuries, and $7.2 billion in direct property damage per year. You can lower the risk of home fire deaths by helping your family members understand the need to create and to practice an escape plan so they will know what to do if those public alarms sound. When you call the nearest fire department, the people waiting for you in front of their home will be safe outside because of you.

Lastly, ignorance can bring your life on line whenever calamities occur. In the event of a fire, you could lose your life, if you are not prepared. Listen to local authorities when conducting a fire drill to be knowledgeable about fire escape. A fire can spread quickly, leaving only a minute or two to escape. Fire absorbs oxygen which makes it harder to breathe and lose consciousness. Asphyxiation is mostly the main cause of death from fire. 8 out of 10 fire fatalities are due to smoke inhalation. Smoke from burned wood contains mixed microscopic droplets and invisible gases that spread in the air from the source of fire. Long-term exposure to these pollutants from burned wood results to high tendency to have health problems and short-term exposure to thick smoke may lead to lungs and cardiovascular problems, especially those who have low immune system. You can lower the risk of home fire deaths by helping your family members understand the need to create and to practice an escape plan so they will know what to do if those public alarms sound. When you call the nearest fire department, the people waiting for you in front of their home will be safe outside because of you. Education is the key to preventing or quickly extinguishing a fire in an area. Be knowledgeable of the locations and right execution of the fire safety equipment.

According to research, we can foresee that people who are mindless of their actions, deprived families, and ignorant are most likely die in a house fire. Establish a “no smoking” policy in the house to prevent small fire from growing into a fire-monster. If a fire occurs in your house, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP. Never go back inside for anyone or anything because it may only lead to additional injuries. Call the nearest fire department from outside your home for help. We should always be prepared in case of emergency because it can help us in survival. Fire is dead and game will never be over.

Works Cited:

1. Alcorn, T., & Jansen, B. (2018). A national-level database of mass shootings in the United States, 1966-2017. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 088626051877329.
2. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. (2021). The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. https://www.bradyunited.org/.
3. Cook, P. J., & Ludwig, J. (2019). Universal background checks and gun violence: Evidence from California. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 38(1), 63-80.
4. Giffords Law Center. (2021). Giffords Law Center. https://giffords.org/.
5. Hemenway, D., & Solnick, S. J. (2015). The epidemiology of self-defense gun use: Evidence from the National Crime Victimization Surveys 2007-2011. Preventive Medicine, 79, 22-27.
6. Koper, C. S., & Woods, D. J. (2019). The effects of gun shows on gun-related deaths: Evidence from California and Texas. Journal of Urban Health, 96(1), 49-58.
7. Krouse, W. J. (2012). Gun control legislation. Congressional Research Service.
8. Rosenfeld, R., & Fornango, R. (2014). The impact of concealed carry laws (CCWs) on violent crime: Evidence from county-level panel data in the United States. Journal of Law and Economics, 57(2), 351-382.
9. Siegel, M., & Rothman, E. F. (2016). Firearm ownership and suicide rates among US men and women, 1981-2013. American Journal of Public Health, 106(7), 1316-1322.
10. Swanson, J. W., & McGinty, E. E. (2018). Reducing gun violence in America: Evidence for change. JHU Press.