fire prevention tips

General Safety Tips
Consider installing a fire sprinkler system in your new home, or if you remodel your existing home.
Make a fire escape plan and familiarize your family with it. Hold a family fire drill several times a year.
Teach family members the "stop, drop and roll" drill in case their clothes catch fire.

Cooking
Always remain in the kitchen when cooking.
Keep flammable articles such as paper bags, dishtowels and curtains a minimum of three feet away from a range top oven.
Don't wear loose-fitting clothes that might catch fire from a hot burner.
In case of a small pan fire, don't douse with water; slide a lid over the flames.
Never leave a barbecue grill unattended while cooking.
Keep grill at least three feet away from any flammable objects, shrubs and bushes, and your house.

Heating
Store matches and lighters in locked cabinets or drawers.
When using space heaters, keep them at least three feet away from flammable objects and materials, like curtains, newspapers, magazines, etc. Always turn heaters off when leaving the room and when going to bed.
Have your chimney, fireplace, wood or coal stove, or furnace inspected once a year. Clean them when necessary.
Keep flammable objects and materials a safe distance from your fireplace, and keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace. Don't leave a room where a fireplace is in use.

Candles
Do not leave burning candles unattended.
Use stable candleholders made of non-flammable materials.
Blow out candles when leaving a room.

Storing flammable liquids
Store gasoline or kerosene in approved storage containers in a garage or outdoor shed.
Never bring gasoline indoors.

Smoke alarms
Install smoke alarms throughout your home, including inside or near every bedroom, and the basement if you have one. Place them away from the path of steam from a bathroom and cooking vapors from a kitchen, both of which can trigger false alarms.
Install smoke alarms high on walls (four to 12 inches from ceiling) or on ceilings (four inches from nearest wall).
Purchase only UL-listed alarms. Ionization- and photoelectric-type alarms are best; some models provide both types of coverage. Test them at least once a month to make sure they're working. Replace batteries once a year.
Replace smoke alarms that are 10 or more years old.
Children, seniors, and the hard of hearing often sleep through the sound of a smoke alarm. Consider installing a series of interconnected alarms, so that when one alarm sounds, they all do. You can also purchase special smoke alarms with strobes and/or vibration. (These can be purchased online or through fire-equipment distributors.)

What to do in case of a fire
Close doors to stop a fire from spreading.
Sound the alarm and alert others in the vicinity.
Get yourself and your family out of the building.
Notify the fire department.
Do not go back into a burning building to try and retrieve possessions.

Whether your problem is at home, your office, or your industrial facility, Advantage Fire Protection is there when you need us most and can always be reached by calling (856) 425-1109 or by using the contact us form.