State Fire Marshal: “Have An Escape Plan”
The State fire Marshal’s Office is reminding people to have an escape plan in case of a fire.
State Fire Marshal Dan Krier says “not putting safety first could have tragic consequences”.
In a statement released Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety says that in addition to having properly functioning smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, it is important to have an escape plan in place and practice it.
Krier says “much like back to your childhood days of doing the fire drills in your schools, we want you to do fire drills at home so that you can practice how you will act under pressure.” When you’re faced with a wall of fire, you don’t have the time or luxury of thinking about an alternate escape route for the first time. He says if you have a working smoke alarm, you have about three minutes to get out of your burning home.
Krier recommends installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. They should be placed on the ceiling. If they are on the wall, they must be no more than 12 inches below the ceiling.
CO poisoning incidents increase during the winter months. CO alarms should be installed within 10 feet of each sleeping room or inside each sleeping room. If a CO alarm sounds and you feel ill, call 911 immediately. Alarms can only save your life if they work, so test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.
Without a working smoke alarm, your chances of surviving a house fire are cut in half.