30 Easy Preparedness Ideas — Day 5

Check Your Fire Extinguisher & Consider a Fire Blanket

Welcome to Day 5 of 30 Easy Preparedness Ideas for National Preparedness Month!

Today's challenge is simple:

Go find your fire extinguisher. 

Do you know exactly where it is?

Does everyone else in your household know?

And most importantly—is it ready if you actually need it?

We buy fire extinguishers hoping we'll never have to use them. Then they get tucked under a sink, mounted in the garage or hidden behind something in a pantry—and we may not think about them again for years.

Today we're going to change that.

Mimi's Tip: Don't Just OWN It—Know Where It Is!

Imagine waking up to the smell of smoke or having a small kitchen fire suddenly flare up.

That is NOT the time to start asking:

"Where did we put the fire extinguisher?"

Take a few minutes today and make sure every capable person in your household knows where your fire extinguishers are located.

Keep them visible, accessible and near an exit, rather than somewhere you could become trapped trying to reach them.

Never bury an extinguisher behind boxes, cleaning supplies or everything else we somehow manage to stuff under the kitchen sink!

Check Your Fire Extinguisher

Take a look at yours today.

Check the manufacturer's instructions and inspection information for your particular extinguisher.

Look for obvious damage, corrosion, leakage or a missing safety pin or seal.

If your extinguisher has a pressure gauge, make sure it indicates that the unit is in the proper operating range.

Also check the label so you know what types of fires your extinguisher is designed to handle.

If you're unsure whether an older extinguisher is still serviceable, follow the manufacturer's recommendations or have it inspected or replaced.

Do You Know HOW to Use It?

A common way to remember the basic steps for many portable fire extinguishers is PASS:

P — PULL the pin
A — AIM at the base of the fire
S — SQUEEZE the handle
S — SWEEP from side to side

Don't wait until there's smoke in the kitchen to read the instructions for the first time.

Take a minute today to read the label on your extinguisher.

Mimi's Bonus Preparedness Idea: Add a Fire Blanket

A fire blanket can be another useful addition to your home's fire-safety supplies.

Fire blankets are designed to help smother certain small, contained fires by cutting off their oxygen supply.

The important thing is to buy a fire blanket designed and tested for fire safety and read its instructions before you ever need it.

Store it somewhere easy to reach—not directly above or immediately beside the place a fire is most likely to occur.

Mimi's Tip: A fire blanket doesn't replace a proper fire extinguisher. Think of it as another tool in your family's fire-safety plan.

Mimi's Kitchen Fire Tip: NEVER Put Water on a Grease Fire!

Since we're talking about fire safety today, let's talk about something that is especially important in the kitchen.

Never pour water on a grease or cooking-oil fire.

Water can cause burning oil to splash and spread the fire, making a dangerous situation much worse.

If a small fire starts in a pan on the stovetop and you can safely do so:

• Turn off the burner.
• Carefully cover the pan with a metal lid or baking sheet. Covering the pan can help smother the flames by cutting off their oxygen.
• A properly rated fire blanket may also be useful for certain small fires when used according to its instructions.
• Leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. Don't lift the lid to “check” whether the fire is out—the added oxygen could allow the fire to flare again.

Never pick up or carry a burning pan.

And remember:

• NO WATER on a grease or oil fire.
• Don't try to carry the pan outside.
• Don't take chances with a growing fire.

If the fire is spreading, you can't safely turn off the heat, there is heavy smoke, or you have any doubt that you can control it safely, get everyone out, stay out and call 911.

Mimi's Tip: Fire safety equipment is only helpful if you know how to use it. Today is a great day to read the directions on your fire extinguisher and fire blanket—and teach the rest of the household where they're kept.

We prepare ahead of time so we don't have to figure it out during the emergency.

Know When to GET OUT

This may be the most important part of today's preparedness lesson.

Your belongings are replaceable. You aren't.

A fire extinguisher or fire blanket is intended for situations where a fire is small and manageable and you can use the equipment safely.

If a fire is spreading, producing heavy smoke, blocking your escape, or you aren't confident you can safely control it:

GET OUT.

Get everyone out of the home, stay out, and call emergency services from a safe location.

Never let trying to save your kitchen—or anything else in your house—put you between the fire and your way out.

TODAY'S EASY PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

☐ Find your fire extinguisher
☐ Make sure it's accessible
☐ Check its condition and instructions
☐ Make sure everyone knows where it is
☐ Review how to use it
☐ Consider adding a fire blanket
☐ Make sure your family knows: When in doubt, GET OUT!

DAY 5 — DONE! ✅

Preparedness isn't always about storing food, water and emergency supplies.

Sometimes preparedness is simply knowing where something is and how to use it before you need it.

Take five minutes today and check your fire extinguisher.

And while you're there, ask your family:

“If there were a fire right now, would you know where to find it?”

That little conversation could be one of the most important things you do during our 30 days.

See you tomorrow for Day 6!

— Mimi 

One little step at a time.

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