Post by jimcobb on Dec 26, 2022 23:28:37 GMT
Over Thanksgiving weekend last year, a fire broke out at an apartment building that our future daughter-in-law and her mother had just moved into about a week prior. The fire started in the garage adjacent to theirs and involved the truck parked there. The neighbor, upon realizing there was a fire, went to the other units in the building, pounding on doors and telling them to get out. By the time the fire department arrived, the garage was fully engulfed.
Thankfully, everyone got out okay, but there was obviously a fair amount of damage. Residents of the building were told they couldn’t stay there for at least a few days while everything aired out and they worked on repairs. Our DIL’s car had a lot of melted plastic, including a headlight that looked like a roasted marshmallow and a cracked windshield. It was still drivable, thank goodness.
Here are a couple of things that stood out to me, after talking to our DIL about what happened.
1) The smoke detectors in the building’s hallways worked, but were very quiet. They couldn’t hear them until they opened their apartment door. Had the neighbor not knocked on their door, they might not have been able to get out safely. The smoke alarm actually in their apartment never went off.
2) Neither DIL nor her mom were wearing decent footwear when they exited the apartment. Mom was barefoot and DIL had slippers. Neither had grabbed coats, either. It was about 30°F at the time, and getting colder as the sun was setting.
Are you prepared for a house fire? Do you know what you and your family would do if fire broke out in the garage or kitchen and you couldn’t get it under control?
Here are a few things many don’t think about.
--If you don’t routinely wear anything on your feet around the house, keep easy to slip on boots or shoes near the door. Not only might there be inclement weather you’ll have to walk or stand in, there could be broken glass or other debris outside.
--If you have a shed, detached garage, or outbuilding of some sort, consider filling a plastic tote with a few things like a coat for each family member, hats and gloves, that sort of stuff. This way, if you have to get out of the house in a hurry, you’ll still have access to warm outerwear. Depending on the situation, you might not be able to get to your trusty "bug out bag" in the trunk.
--Many of us have the routine of testing smoke alarms when we change the clocks for Daylight Savings. But, have you checked to see how loud they are when you aren’t standing directly underneath them? Have someone activate the alarm while you’re in the bedroom with the door closed, for example. Make sure it is loud enough to truly get your attention in a hurry, no matter where you are in the home.
--Do you know where you could go for a few days, if you couldn’t return to your home immediately? Talk to local family or friends and have that conversation now, rather than waiting until something happens. Sure, insurance companies might reimburse you for motel stays, but you might have to pony up the cash first.
We talk a lot about evacuation drills and checking alarm batteries, but the above are things that aren’t discussed nearly as often.
Thankfully, everyone got out okay, but there was obviously a fair amount of damage. Residents of the building were told they couldn’t stay there for at least a few days while everything aired out and they worked on repairs. Our DIL’s car had a lot of melted plastic, including a headlight that looked like a roasted marshmallow and a cracked windshield. It was still drivable, thank goodness.
Here are a couple of things that stood out to me, after talking to our DIL about what happened.
1) The smoke detectors in the building’s hallways worked, but were very quiet. They couldn’t hear them until they opened their apartment door. Had the neighbor not knocked on their door, they might not have been able to get out safely. The smoke alarm actually in their apartment never went off.
2) Neither DIL nor her mom were wearing decent footwear when they exited the apartment. Mom was barefoot and DIL had slippers. Neither had grabbed coats, either. It was about 30°F at the time, and getting colder as the sun was setting.
Are you prepared for a house fire? Do you know what you and your family would do if fire broke out in the garage or kitchen and you couldn’t get it under control?
Here are a few things many don’t think about.
--If you don’t routinely wear anything on your feet around the house, keep easy to slip on boots or shoes near the door. Not only might there be inclement weather you’ll have to walk or stand in, there could be broken glass or other debris outside.
--If you have a shed, detached garage, or outbuilding of some sort, consider filling a plastic tote with a few things like a coat for each family member, hats and gloves, that sort of stuff. This way, if you have to get out of the house in a hurry, you’ll still have access to warm outerwear. Depending on the situation, you might not be able to get to your trusty "bug out bag" in the trunk.
--Many of us have the routine of testing smoke alarms when we change the clocks for Daylight Savings. But, have you checked to see how loud they are when you aren’t standing directly underneath them? Have someone activate the alarm while you’re in the bedroom with the door closed, for example. Make sure it is loud enough to truly get your attention in a hurry, no matter where you are in the home.
--Do you know where you could go for a few days, if you couldn’t return to your home immediately? Talk to local family or friends and have that conversation now, rather than waiting until something happens. Sure, insurance companies might reimburse you for motel stays, but you might have to pony up the cash first.
We talk a lot about evacuation drills and checking alarm batteries, but the above are things that aren’t discussed nearly as often.