WHILE THE EXTINGUISHING MIXTURE IS BEING RELEASED, A MICROSWITCH AC...

4.

While the extinguishing mixture is being released, a microswitch activates a switch that shuts

off the gas or electric fuel source.

116

Locksmith and Security Professionals’ Exam Study Guide

Surviving a Home Fire

To ensure that your customer and their family will be able to get out alive during a fire, they need to

plan ahead. All members of the household, including small children, should help to develop an

escape plan and regularly practice using it. It isn’t enough for them just to say what they would do

in case of a fire. They may have only sec onds to get out, and the smoke could be so thick and black,

they won’t be able to see where they’re going. Only through practice will they be able to react quickly

and do almost routinely what they need to do to survive.

Make sure all potential escape routes are readily accessible. Check that windows aren’t painted

shut. Remove furniture blocking exit doors. Adjust locks that are too high for children to reach. And

so on. Let your customer know they should take care of any

obstacles immediately.

Tell your customer to establish a meeting place outside and not too close to their home (a spot

near a designated tree or on a neighbor’s porch, for instance). Agree that all mem bers of the house-

hold will go there and wait together for the fire department. Everyone should know how to call for

help—either at a neighbor’s home or by using a fire box.

Emphasize the importance of not going back into a burning home, even if someone is unac-

counted for. If someone goes back into the home, they will not only being endangering themselves,

but also anyone inside. Fire grows quickly, and it rushes to wherever there is oxygen. As windows

and doors are opened in a burning home, it makes the smoke and flames spread faster. Staying out-

side and waiting for the firefighters is better. Firefighters will arrive quickly, and they will have the

equipment and skills to rescue anyone left inside.

Here are some key actions everyone should remember. If someone encounters smoke on the

way out of the building, they should use an alternative exit. If someone must escape through smoke,

they should crawl along the floor, under the smoke, where the air is cooler and cleaner.

If a person’s clothing catches on fire, they should stop, drop to the ground, and roll to extinguish

the flames.

If someone is in a bedroom and hears a smoke detector but doesn’t see smoke, they should leave

quickly through a bedroom window, if possible. If the room is too high off the ground or the per-

son can’t get out of the window safely, the person should feel the door from the bottom up to find

out if it’s warm. The person shouldn’t touch the door knob, because it may be hot. If the door feels

warm, they should not

open it. If the door is cool, the person should place their shoulder against the

door and open it slowly. If no flames can be seen and an exit is near, the person should crawl to

safety. Once they are out of the building, the person should call the fire department immediately and

not go back into the building for any reason. If everyone in the home has practiced what to do in

case of a fire, your customer and their loved ones will know what to do to stay safe while waiting

for the firefighters.

If the bedroom door is hot and someone can’t safely climb out of a window, they should stuff

rags or rolled-up clothes under and around the door, and in every gap or open ing that may allow

smoke to enter the room. If someone can’t climb out of a window safely, they should hang a rag or

a piece of clothing out of it. This will let firefighters know where the person is located.

What to Do after a Fire

If you have a home fire, take these actions as quickly as you can afterward: