Fire Safety Tips for Disabled People

To increase fire safety, people with disabilities should follow these guidelines:

Easy Escape

Be aware of your capabilities and limitations. Make Sure your bedroom is on the ground floor. Make sure smoke alarms are installed in any sleeping area and have a telephone or telecommunications device installed near your bed. If you cannot escape alone, designate a member of the household to assist and decide on a backup person in case that person isn't home.

Special Alarm

If you or any member of your household is deaf or hard of hearing install a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light or vibration along with the sound alarm. One model uses a strobe light alarm to alert hearing-impaired people of danger. The remote strobe light can be mounted in a bedroom even though the detector may be located in another room or hallway, giving the same advantage of early warning available to hearing people when an alarm sounds from outside the bedroom.

Make a Plan

Be sure to determine a designated escape plan that includes everyone in the household. Conduct regular fire drills to determine if everyone is able to hear and respond to smoke alarms. If someone requires additional warning or uses a guide dog, incorporate that need into the fire escape plan.

Communicate

Post emergency telephone numbers in central locations. Keep a communications device nearby. If you use a teletypewriter or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, place it close to the bed so that communication with emergency personnel is possible should fire or smoke trap you in your room.

Talk To Your Fire Department

Contact the fire prevention office of your local fire department to review emergency escape procedures with them and to discuss your disabilities.

If You Get Trapped

Keep the doors closed, seal cracks and vents if smoke comes in. If there's no smoke outside of the building, open the windows to let out the heat and smoke and signal for help by hanging object out the window to attract the fire department's attention.

Always Have a Fire Extinguisher At Hand and Remember PASS

P Pull the pin

A Aim low at the base of the fire

S Squeeze the level above the handle

S Sweep from side to side

This article is provided by MasterGuard, a leading educator of fire safety and provider of fire detection devices.