By Jason H. Faso, Firefighter, FDNY for 18 years currently assigned to Rescue One, Volunteer Firefighter for 25 years.

Don’t cast aside all those papers sent home from school.

You are your child’s first teacher and you have knowledge of the unique hazards and features of your home.  Kids are wide eyed at the fire apparatus, gear, etc when we visit schools and don’t pay as much attention at what is said.

I have seen some truly preventable situations occur. Among the most truthful tips these materials contain are: 1)  Sleep with doors closed, they do provide a “fire break” and keep a remarkable bit of smoke out. 2) Don’t take time to look for or return to the house for pets under any circumstance. As harsh as it sounds, their lungs are smaller and more susceptible to suffocation and it is often too late anyway. 3) Tot Finders are valuable, firefighters do use them, it is the first thing that a chief directs his men toward in a night fire.  If you have a special needs child there are special stickers available to you as well.  4) Never feel that your emengency isn’t serious enough or fire large enough to warrant a call to 911, you will not be made to feel that you are a bother or be charged for emergency service… What may appear small, may be a larger hidden problem in walls, attics and other voids or grow rapidly.

Additional things to consider are:

-         Any heat generating appliance likely to cause a fire if it malfunctions should be evaluated.  Remember that fire burns up, so a boiler fire in your basement may ultimately block your hallway.  Have a separate escape plan should common doors be blocked by the fire.

-         Keep bushes away from windows to make access easier.  Beds under windows are not ideal, as firefighters break windows to gain access and also ventilate smoke and the glass will fall on the bedding or child, as will a firefighter gaining entry.

-         Keep  boiler room clean and combustables at least three feet away.

-         Smoke detectors are valuable because humans don’t wake to smell (like dogs do) humans will only wake to the noise.  It is not uncommon for firemen to arrive and not hear smoke detectors.  Apartment dwellers don’t abdicate your safety to your landlord, invest in your safety and change those batteries yourself.

-         Fireplaces – don’t put ash buckets on wooden decks – place far away from house.  Don’t place ashes in plastic recepticles, as the composition of plastic is now very combustable.  Coals from a fireplace can stay hot when insulated by the ash for several days.

-         Hardwired dectectors are not life long appliances, they should be totally changed over every ten years.  Don’t forget to change the the batteries on any non-hardwired smoke or CO (Carbon Monoxide) Detectors in your home when we change the clocks later this month.

-         If you can’t get out, have an interior meeting place where you can close the door and open a window.

-         Away from home, do take note of the escape route, etc…pay attention to your surroundings during the daylight hours so that you are not caught off guard in the dark of night.

-         Drill in your own home… blindfolded, that is what it feels like in a fire with the power off or thick smoke, people do get lost in their own homes.

-         A lot of people are found close to the door… Interior keyed locks are dangerous unless you keep the key in the lock!

Have a safe and happy fall and holiday season, always monitor heat generating appliances, food on the stove and candles!

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