A fire emergency can befall anyone, at anytime. On average, 40,000 fire-based incidents are recorded every year in Canada. However, it’s not the onset of a fire that determines the aftermath and the damage; rather it’s your reaction to said emergency, and how you cope with it.
Below is a simple yet effective method to put out a fire that has come in contact with your clothing:
Stop, Drop and Roll:
You might’ve learned this in school, and as childish as it may seem, it works. The stop, drop and roll method simply states that when your clothing catches fire, you should abandon all movement and stand still. This is because unnecessary movement can transfer the fire to other objects and surrounding people, along with increasing the risk of it spreading throughout your body.
The next step is to drop. If you keep standing, there’s a chance the fire will reach the ceiling and the smoke will fill up the room faster. This can be hazardous, especially if the room is not equipped with smoke detectors. Dropping down will help the fire lay low before help arrives.
Finally, roll! When you keep rolling over and over, the flames have a higher chance of being put out. This is the fastest way to put out the fire and causes minimum damage to your property.
But we all know prevention is better than cure. It’s smart to know how to put out fires, but it’s even smarter to prevent them from taking place in the first place!
There are certain precautions you can take that will save you from the trouble of stopping, dropping and subsequently rolling!
Smoke Detectors
Easily available online, smoke detectors cost no more than a hundred bucks; but they can help you sniff out a fire like a hellhound! Investing in smoke alarms today will save you the cost of fire damage that you might have to incur tomorrow.
Fire Extinguishers
The importance of fire extinguishers cannot be overstated! They can help you save lives and minimize collateral damage with one stone! Whether you’re upgrading the security of your home or office space, always invest in a fire extinguisher.
However, merely buying a fire extinguisher won’t do the trick. You must know how to operate the device to make use of it. Thankfully, at our safety training classes, our training experts teach you how to use one and provide you with evacuation tips to minimize damage and injury.
We offer safety training classes for workplace safety and first aid training, all across British Columbia. So contact now to schedule a class with us and hose down the damages of a fire emergency!
