Brandwacht (Fire Watch): Fire Safety In The Home

A home is where we spend the most time of our lives. As such, it’s no surprise that home is one of the biggest causes of injury for firefighters. Firefighters spend most of their time working in high-risk environments, which means more risk of injury for them.

It’s easy to forget that you don’t know your house as well as you think. This can make things tricky when you have to take care of people who live in your home. While you can’t control your neighbors, you can make sure to follow some basic fire safety rules. This includes keeping your home well-stocked with fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and fire blankets. Here’s everything you need to know about fire safety in your home.

What To Do When You Hear Smoke

If you hear smoke, follow these steps:

1) Stop, drop, and roll. In the event of a fire, this means stop what you are doing, take off any clothes that might catch on fire, and lie on the ground. It’s important to give yourself time to think. If there is nothing that may be catching fire, run to the nearest exit or call 911.

2) Take action by extinguishing the flames with a nearby object like a blanket or throw rug. This will help keep your home safe while you wait for emergency workers to arrive.

Install Working Fire Extinguishers

The first step in fire safety is having working fire extinguishers. If a fire breaks out, you’ll need to act quickly. If there are no working fire extinguishers in the house, you’ll have to go outside to get them. These are responsible for putting out small fires before they turn into big ones.

Make Smoke Alarms A Priority

Make sure to install smoke alarms in every bedroom and on every level of your home. Smoke detectors are the first line of defense against house fires. In one study, it was found that a smoke alarm can reduce the risk of dying in a fire by 50 percent. When a smoke alarm goes off, you should get everyone out quickly and call the fire department if necessary.

Know The Fire Code

You need to know the fire code. This is a set of regulations that governs what type of actions homeowners can take when there’s a fire in the home. The code is specific and gives guidelines on how to respond to different situations. When you’re at home, it’s always important that you know where the nearest escape routes are. Escape routes should be marked and easily accessible.

Hiring a brandwacht (fire watch) might be a good idea, as they have experience in fighting starting fire and they are able to do first aid.

Don’t Use Furnace Or Central Air Conditioner

Furnace and central air conditioner failures can lead to serious injuries, such as carbon monoxide poisoning. If you think your furnace isn’t working properly or if you don’t know how to control your central air conditioner, take it off the circuit breaker box until it’s fixed.

Don’t Use Portable Space Heaters

Portable space heaters are a good idea when you need to warm up a cold room in the winter. But they should never be used inside your home. They emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and other harmful chemicals, which can be deadly to humans and pets if used indoors. If you need heat, keep it on low settings with plenty of ventilation.