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LEMONT FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT |
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Family Fire & Life Safety Americans overestimate the amount of time they might have to escape from a fire. Although
many believe they would have at least six minutes to escape before a fire becomes life threatening, the reality is that fire
and toxic smoke spread much quicker than you think. In a matter of seconds, a small fire can grow into an inferno, producing thick, toxic smoke
and temperatures of 800 degrees or more. Flashover, the point at which superheated gases cause everything
in a room to ignite, can kill occupants throughout a home within 2-4 minutes. In a fire, seconds count. It is difficult to see through the thick, toxic smoke. People panic and rush to
the only way they know out—the entrance. The entrance may not be the best (or quickest) way out, however. When you enter a building, any building, plan an exit strategy. Notice at least
two exits you could use in the event of a fire. Get out alive.
Lemont Fire Prevention has a three part program available in which representatives of the Fire District
will come around to homes and offer a free home safety inspection, check smoke detectors and batteries, and check the addressing
of the home. This program is voluntary and free to residents of the Lemont Fire District. Please read the following details
of the program. 1) Fire Safety Inspection. Each home that we visit will be given a free home fire safety inspection. Recommended
improvements will be made to the owner / occupant of the dwelling. All information obtained from these inspections is confidential
and will only be used to inform the property owner / occupant of recommended changes. 2) Free Smoke Detectors. As part of the home inspection program we will be looking at smoke detectors in the home. Free detectors and batteries
will be given if the need is indicated. 3) Address Numbering. Correct and visible addressing from the street is vitally important in a life threatening emergency. These enable
us to find your home much faster, especially at night. Contact
us at 630-257-0191 or email us at jhawtho@lemontfire.com if you are interested. Visual Smoke Alarm Program
Electrical Wiring Home Fire Escape Plan
Do you already know these fire safety
tips? "Exit Drills in the Home - E.D.I.T.H." Do you remember having fire drills in school? Your family should also
have fire drills at home. Everyone should work together to plan two ways out of every room, and pick a family meeting
place outside. It's important to have a family meeting place so you can all be together and know that each other is
safe. "Get Low and Go" That means get out of a burning building right away and stay low to the ground
(crawl) as you are leaving! Smoke will rise towards the ceiling, you need to crawl to stay low out of
the smoke. "Stop, Drop and Roll" That's what you do if your clothes catch on fire! Stop right where you are (never run), drop to the ground, cover your face
with your hands and roll over and over to put the fire out.
It's true! Every home should have at least one smoke detector on every
level, and if you sleep with your bedroom doors closed, then you should have a smoke detector inside the bedroom too!
A smoke detector will sound while a fire is still small giving you a warning to get outside before the fire grows too big
for you to get out. |
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NOTE:
Links on these pages are pointers to other locations in the Internet. This information
is provided as a service; however the Lemont Fire Protection District does not endorse, approve or otherwise support these
sites.
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