User's Manual

5
FIRE PREVENTION AND ESCAPE
The purpose of an early warning smoke alarm is to detect the presence of fire in its early stages and sound an alarm
giving the occupants time to exit the premises safely.
Avoid Fire Hazards
No detection device can protect life in all situations.
Therefore, safeguards should be taken to avoid
potentially dangerous situations as follows:
Do not smoke in bed
Do not leave children home alone
Never clean with flammable liquids such as gasoline.
Properly store materials, Use general good
housekeeping techniques to keep your home neat and
tidy. A cluttered basement, attic or other storage area is
an open invitation to fire.
Use combustible materials and electrical appliances
carefully and only for their intended uses. Do not
overload electrical outlets.
Do not store explosive and/or fast burning materials in
your home.
Even after proper precautions have been taken, fires
can start. Be prepared.
In Case of Fire
In the event of a fire, you should do the following:
Leave immediately. Don't stop to pack or search for
valuables.
In heavy smoke, hold your breath and stay low crawl if
necessary. The clearest air is usually near the floor.
If you have to go through a closed door, carefully feel
the door and door knob to see if undue heat is present.
If they seem cool, brace your foot against the bottom of
the door with your hip against the door and one hand
against the top edge. Open it slightly. If a rush of hot air
is felt, slam the door quickly and latch it.
Unvented fire tends to build up considerable pressure.
Be sure all members of the household realizes and
understands this danger.
Use your neighbor's phone or a street fire alarm box to
call the fire department. The job of extinguishing the fire
should be left to the professionals.
Be Prepared
Practice the following steps to prepare you and your
family in the event of a fire:
Perform fire drills regularly. Use them to assure
recognition of an alarm signal.
Draw a floor plan and show two exits from each room. It
is important that children be instructed carefully,
because they tend to hide in times of crises.
Establish one meeting place outside the home. Insist
that everyone meet there during an alarm. This will
eliminate the tragedy of someone reentering the house
for a missing member who is actually safe.
If you have children and/or physically challenged
people residing in your household, use window decals
to help emergency personnel identify the sleeping
quarters of these individuals.
WARNING!
Smoke alarms CANNOT provide warnings for fires
resulting from explosions, smoking in bed or other
furniture, ignition of flammable liquids, vapors and
gases, children playing with matches or lighters.