Get a fire alarm

Hi folks,

Yesterday a tragedy happened in my street. There was a house fire over the road from where I live and the family was trapped. They couldn't open the windows and neighbours had to smash them with anything they could find before the family could get out. There was a 3 year old child trapped in an upstairs bedroom who didn't get out until the fire brigade arrived with breathing equipment. I saw the paramedics run into the ambulance with him. The young boy died last night in hospital. Everyone around here is devasted, and even though I didn't know the family personally I feel a deep sense of loss. So please please do something good for your families this weekend....

1. Make sure you have smoke alarms that work. How old are the batteries? If you don't know then replace them. If you don't have smoke alarms then get some, they're cheap. You can't have too many.

2. Plan an escape route and make sure ALL the family know how to unlock or open the windows. If they're locked make sure a key is nearby and available. It surprised us all here at how many of us lock our windows with no way of unlocking them close to hand.

Simple steps that could prevent you or someone you love being killed by fire or smoke inhalation.

Very good advice! I took this one step further last summer and put an egress window in my basement. It was a lot of work, but well worth it. It is on the opposite side of the basement from the stairs, so hopefully my family and I will be able to get out if the worse ever happens.

So I full understand the importance if working fire detectors. As a firefighter I kringe at the thought of losing a child!!! It is recomended that the batteries are replaced twice a year, also I have been involved with the fire prevention for the past 4 years. ALL KIDS should know 2 ways out of there house and have a place to meet the rest of your family at. Make sure the children can open there own window and that they know that firefighers are there friend, we look scary to kids in the gear, so my advice contact your local fire dept and ask if you canb stop by for your kid. I am willing to get that they will love to help you out!!

if anyone has questions what they can do to help there kid, PM me

We have a hard-wired fire alarm system. One night at 3am, I heard it go off. I was kind of surprised as to what went through my head... Everyone always talks about "oh, I'd grab my computer, DVDs, etc. on my way out". When I woke up to that alarm it was all about WIFE+DOG+EXIT. Yeah, I was standing in my driveway in my undies, but we were all out of the house in about 2.5 seconds.

As a rule, I remember changing fire alarm batteries whenever we changed the clocks (fall back, spring ahead!)

Thatnks for making me think ahbout it, just moved into a new house, and I have no clue where they are. Looks like I am gonna be buying some batteries this weekend.

Also something you should all keep in mind its not the fire that kills, its the smoke. like 97% of residental fire deaths is from the smoke inhalation. So if you see smoke get down and crawl. (warning the following may be graphic and bother some people) it sounds dumb but there have been people who wake up see fire jump up and try and run out, but the smoke cause aphixiation of the brain and they weren't thinking right and ran into a wall,knocked them selfs out. They layed there and inhaled all the hot toxic fumes. and died from that. Another case a drunk person passed out smoking, they woke up and would have been able to get out alive, but they jumped up and ran, well the air at head level was about 500 deg F, more then enugh to cook the soft tissue in the lungs,

I have many more stoies like that, the main point! Learn Fire Safty and pratice it with the whole family!

I've got one - it's a tiny place so we only need the one. Only issue is the GF and her girl burn things up on the stove and take the battery out all the time though...

The fire dept in my city gives them out free if you can't afford one. They will also come out and inspect yours free of charge to make sure they are working properly and that you have enough of them. In my state apartment landlords are required to have two alarms in every unit by law.

To some it may seem like a waste of tax dollars, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Better to give away a $10 smoke detector that have to pay thousands to put out the fire and medical care when it's too late (not to mention loss of life).

I am a member of a Volunteer Fire Department.

Our department and the neighboring Volunteer Fire Department that covers the local school district.

Raised money strictly from donations, no tax money. Then for Fire Prevention week we GAVE a smoke detector to every child in the School system. Something, like 600 of them (Small School system I’m sure).

A large initial investment, but next years we will just give them to K, and new students.

I wish we could take the credit for starting it, but another area Department started it when they had a fatal fire a few years ago, with a child lost.

We also pass out rescue stickers to put on windows of rooms where people sleep.