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Safety Tips for Seniors
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Protect
Yourself
Prevention is the best way to keep your home safe from fire.
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Be
Kitchen Wise
Never leave cooking unattended. Use oven mitts and wear clothes with tight-fitting
or rolled-up sleeves when you cook. Use a timer to remind you to turn off
burners and the oven. Keep stove surfaces free of clutter and built-up
grease. Don't cook if you've been drinking alcohol or taking medication
that makes you drowsy. |
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Be
Smoker Wary
Provide smokers with large, deep, non-tip ashtrays. Empty ashtrays often,
wetting the contents before dumping them into wastebaskets. Never smoke
in bed or while drinking alcohol or while you are on medication that could
make you drowsy or disoriented. |
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Give
Space Heaters Space
Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter)
from everything... including you. Just brushing against one could set your
clothing on fire.
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Install
Smoke Alarms
Be sure to have smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside of
sleeping areas, preferably inside each bedroom. If you have a hearing impairment,
use tested and approved smoke alarms that trigger a strobe light.
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Test
your smoke alarms monthly and change their batteries once a year. You
can use a stick, broom handle ladder or sturdy step stool to reach
the alarm. Do not stand on a chair. Call Hillsboro Fire Department
to have firefighters do a free smoke alarm inspection, 503-681-6166.
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Plan
Your Escape
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Know
Two Ways Out
Plan two escape routes from every room in your home. During a fire, smoke
or flames may block an exit, forcing you to use an alternate escape route.
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Know
How to Unlock Doors and Windows
Windows should open easily and fully to allow escape. All security-barred
windows and doors needed for escape should be equipped with quick-release
devices that every household member can operate. Practice emergency exit
drills to identify and eliminate obstructions. |
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Know
All Building Exits
lf you live in an apartment building, count the number of doorways between
your apartment and the two nearest exits. During a fire, you may have to
escape in the dark.
No matter where you live, be familiar with all exits, including windows.
If you have trouble with stairs, it may be best to sleep on the first floor. |
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If
Fire Strikes...
Knowing how to protect yourself during a fire emergency could save your
life.
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Test
Doors Before You Open Them
Kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch
the hinge, the knob, and the space between the door and its frame with
the back of your hand. If the door is cool, open it cautiously and continue
along your escape route. If it is warm, keep the door closed and seek an
alternative escape route or stay in your room. |
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Crawl
Low Under Smoke
If you encounter smoke while using your primary exit, use an alternative
route. If you must exit through smoke, crouch or crawl. Heat and smoke
rise; cleaner air will be 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 centimeters) above
the floor. |
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If
You Are Trapped...
Remain calm. Close all doors between you and the smoke. If there is a phone
in the room, call 9 1 1 and tell the dispatcher where you are trapped.
Call the fire department even if you can see fire trucks through your window.
Stuff rags, towels, or clothing in the cracks around doors to keep smoke
out. Wait at a window; signal the fire fighters by waving a light-colored
cloth or flashlight and wait to be rescued. |
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Get
Out and Stay Out
Leave the building as quickly as you can. Call the fire department from
a neighbor's phone. Do not go back into the building for any reason.
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Stop,
Drop, and Roll
If your clothing catches fire, stop where you are, drop gently to the floor
or ground; cover your face with your hands to protect your face from flames;
and roll over and over to smother the flames. If you cannot drop to the
floor, smother the flames with a blanket or towel. |
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Smother
a Grease Fire
If a pan of food catches fire, using a pot holder, carefully slide a lid
over it and turn off the burner. Keep lid in place until cool until both
the pan and lid are cool. |
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