Safety Information
Notes on calling 9-1-1
Home Fire Safety Check List
Smoke Detectors and Fire Safety
The Lowdown on High Blood Pressure
Notes on Calling 9-1-1
After dialing 9-1-1, stay on the line even if you do not hear it ringing, the
system has a lot of work to do before the call goes through to the dispatcher (a
silent wait of ten (10) seconds is possible before you will hear the line ringing -
that's long enough to say the Lord's Prayer)
After dialing 9-1-1, stay on the line until the dispatcher answers; even if
the call was a mistake, the dispatcher must handle each and every call in some
manner. If you hang up you may end up with a police officer or a firefighter at
your door.
The silent wait allows the system to gather the following information for the dispatcher: your telephone number,
your address, the name the phone is registered in, the proper Police service
for your address, the proper Fire service for your address, and the proper EMS
service for your address.
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Home Fire Safety Check List
A residential fire occurs every half hour in Ohio. How safe is your home from fire? To determine the safety of your
home from fire hazard, study these questions with your family. Every "yes"
answer indicates a positive fire safety situation. However, every "no" answer
points to a fire hazard that needs to be corrected.
Matches and Careless Smoking Hazard
Do you keep matches away from sources of heat?
Do you make sure matches and smoking
materials are out before disposing of them?
Do you have plenty of large,
noncombustible ash trays in every room?
Is "No Smoking in Bed" a rule in your
home?
Electrical Hazards
Do you have qualified electricians
install or extend your wiring?
When
you buy electrical equipment and appliances, do you always look
for the UL label of UL, Inc.?
Are there enough electrical outlets in
every room to avoid the need for multiple attachment plugs and extension cords?
Are there proper heat controls on your
electrical iron and all electrical appliances used for cooking?
Do you have special circuits for heavy
duty appliances?
Do you use only 15 amp. Fuses for your
household lighting circuits?
Are all extension cords of the right
size, in the open and not under rugs or through partitions or openings?
HouseKeeping Hazards
Do you keep your basement, closets and
attic clear of rugs, papers and other combustible materials?
After using oily polishing rags, do
you destroy them or place them in a covered metal can?
If you store paint, varnish, and other
items, do you keep the containers tightly closed?
Has
everyone in your family been warned never to use gasoline or
other flammable liquids for cleaning clothes, furnishings
or floors?
Heating and Cooking Hazards
If
you use oil heat or gas heat, is the equipment listed by the proper laboratories such as UL or the American gas
Association?
Before the heating season begins, do
you have your heating system inspected and serviced?
If you have a wood burning stove, has
it been installed properly according to manufacturer's instructions?
Do you burn seasoned wood and is it
stored in the proper place?
Are all vent connectors and flue pipes
that pass through attics, floors, ceilings and walls properly installed?
Is your kitchen stove, including the
oven and the broiler, kept clean of grease?
Do all portable heaters in your home
bear the lave of Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) or some other recognized safety testing agency?
If you use a portable heater, is it
placed well away from any and all combustible materials?
Do you always refill the fuel tank of
your kerosene heater outdoors?
Since portable kerosene heaters use up
oxygen when they burn, do you always have adequate ventilation?
Do you always turn off the portable
heater when you go to bed?
Is your inside basement door at the
head of the stairs properly fitted and kept closed at night?
Has everyone in the family been warned
never to use any flammable liquids to start a fire in the stove, fireplace or furnace?
Is every fireplace equipped with a
sturdy metal fire screen?
Yard and Garage Hazards
Do you keep your yard cleaned of
leaves, debris, and combustible rubbish?
If you keep gasoline for use in a
power mower or outboard motor, is it stored in a strong, clearly
labeled red gasoline safety-type can?
If your garage is attached to the
house, is it separated by a firerated door, which is kept, closed?
If you store kerosene, is it placed in
an approved blue and white container that is clearly labeled kerosene?
Especially for Parents
Do you keep matches out of the reach
of children?
Do you leave a responsible person with
your children when you go out, even for a little while?
When you employ babysitters, do you
instruct them carefully on what to do incase of a fire?
Are you careful never to leave
children alone in a room with a portable heater or wood stove?
IMPORTANT: A child learns by example
as well as by instruction. In regard to fire safety, do you always set
a good example?
In Cases of Fire
Do you know the telephone number of
your fire department?
Do you know how to turn on a fire
alarm?
Do you have escape plan with at least
two ways out of every room in your home?
Have you practiced that escape plan by
holding fire drills in your home?
Smoke Detectors
Do you have a smoke detector installed
on every level of your home?
Do you test your detector weekly to
insure that it is in proper working order?
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Smoke Detectors and Fire Safety: A Guide for older Ohioans
Fire is a Major Destroyer of Property and Lives
There is a fire in someone's home in Ohio every half hour. Each year more than 200 people
die in fires and more than $200
million is destroyed by fire in this state alone.
Older people are at greater risk. The risk of fire death for Ohioans age 65
and over is three times greater than the risk for adults under 65.
There are Five Leading Causes of Fires at Home
Heating Sources, like furnaces, wood stoves and space heaters
Cooking
Arson
Electrical Distribution
Careless Smoking
A Smoke Detector can make a difference.....
80 percent of all fire deaths take place in
residences not equipped with working smoke detectors.
Smoke detectors can provide early warning of fires, allowing time for
individuals to escape and firefighters to arrive before the fire grows.
Buying Your Smoke Detector
Smoke detectors are inexpensive - many models
range in prices from $10 to $20, and can be purchased at most hardware and department stores.
Smoke detectors make thoughtful gifts for friends and relatives.
Installing Your Smoke Detector
Smoke detectors should be installed on each level of your home.
Smoke detectors are easy to install. Simply follow the manufacturer's
instructions. Normally you only have to secure the detector with a few screws, which
takes just minutes. If you need assistance, ask a neighbor, relative, or the local fire department.
Taking Care of Your Smoke Detector
Once a month smoke detectors should be tested. Most have a test button to press.
Or, you can use the smoke of a candle beneath the detector until you hear the alarm.
Replace batteries once a year.
When you clean your house don't forget your smoke detectors. Simply use the
vacuum cleaner to clean dust away from the detector's air vents.
Fire prevention is still the best method of fire
safety, and since some older people have problems moving quickly - and suffer more when injuries and smoke inhalation occur - it is
essential to prevent fires from happening at all.
Plan two escape routes from your home or apartment and practice this plan.
Never smoke in bed. Don't smoke in your favorite, comfortable chair when you
feel drowsy or drink alcohol.
Do not empty ashtrays that may contain smoldering materials until they are
completely out.
Don't wear loose - fitting clothing when cooking over a stove and never
leave your cooking unattended - even for a moment … be sure all the burners are off when you have finished.
Do not use towels as potholders. They ignite easily if they are placed too
near a burner.
Place a rubber mat in front of your stove, to prevent you from slipping and
falling against it.
A circuit breaker or fuse that constantly trips or blows may be a sign of a
possible electrical problem. Call an electrician or other qualified person to check the wiring.
Keep anything that might burn away from space heaters.
Check all appliance cords for fraying and exposed wires.
Sleep with your bedroom door closed. This helps keep any smoke and flame
from reaching you.
Keep your eyeglasses, a flashlight, and a whistle near your bed. Your
glasses and flashlight can help you escape. If trapped, blowing the whistle can alert firefighters to your location.
In a fire, smoke and heat usually rise; so bend low, or crawl, if necessary,
and get out quickly.
If your clothes catch on fire, cover your face, drop to the floor and roll
until the flames have gone out. Or drape a large blanket or towel around your body to extinguish the flames.
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Lowdown on High Blood Pressure
Sixty million Americans have high blood pressure. Left untreated, the condition can cause heart attack, kidney failure, or stroke.
But many people don't really understand what high pressure is. They don't recognize the importance of having their blood pressure checked.
And many who have high pressure don't understand why they must follow their medical treatment.
What do you need to know about high
blood pressure? If you have high blood pressure, what can you do about it?
Know the Facts
High blood pressure, also
called hypertension, is a condition in which blood is exerting to much pressure on the walls of the blood vessels.
Hypertension is not the same as nervous tension. Calm, quiet people can have high blood
-- just as nervous people can.
If you have high blood pressure, you probably have no symptoms whatsoever.
You cannot tell what your blood pressure is by how you feel. The only way to find out is to have it measured.
Remember, although high blood pressure
cannot be cured, it can be controlled very well by following treatment.
The condition can be inherited. If someone in your immediate family has
high blood pressure, you are more likely to develop it than is someone with no family history of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects blacks much more than whites. And in blacks
it seems to be more severe. Between ages 25 and 64, two and a half times as many blacks as whites die from stroke, a major
complication of uncontrolled high blood pressure.
A so-called "mild" case of high blood pressure should not be ignored.
If you have "mild" high blood pressure, you run twice the risk of getting heart disease as someone with normal blood pressure.
Do Something Now!
Get your blood pressure checked at least once a year -- more often if it is elevated.
Watch your weight. If you are overweight, you are more susceptible to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Watch your salt intake. Too much salt (sodium) can raise blood pressure in some people.
If you have high blood pressure your doctor regularly, take your medicine and follow your diet as prescribed, and stick
with it!
If you'd like to learn more about high pressure, contact your Red Cross chapter.
RECORD YOUR CHECKUPS.
Keep the information below as a record of
your most recent blood pressure reading.
Date _____________ Place _____________ Blood
pressure reading ______
