FIRE Rescue Victoria has issued a plea for people to check their smoke alarms and make plans to prevent fatal house fires this winter.
Children, elderly people, smokers, and people with disabilities are most at-risk of fatal house fires, Fire Rescue Victoria research has found. FRV deputy commissioner of community safety Joshua Fischer says that “planning and practising a home fire escape plan” could be a life-saving exercise.
“When firefighters respond to a house fire, it’s a priority to ensure everyone is out of harm’s way. You can help us – and protect your loved ones – by having an effective home fire escape plan in place, especially during the winter months when we spend more time indoors,” Fischer said.
“Making a home fire escape plan shouldn’t be complicated; in fact your plan needs to be simple enough that everyone can follow it. It could make all the difference in a situation where every second counts. “Having a plan and practising it with everyone in your household is an essential part of family fire safety. If a fire breaks out in your home, there’s no time to plan. By giving your family a simple plan to follow now, you’re giving them a better chance to survive a life-threatening emergency.”
The FRV recommends practising the plan with everyone in the home, and leaving your keys in the door if the door is deadlocked. It says if a fire starts that residents should “get out and stay out by getting down low and staying out of the smoke.”
“If it is safe, close doors to slow down the spread of fire and smoke. Alert other people on your way out. Meet at a safe place, such as the letterbox out the front of your home. Call Triple Zero from a mobile phone or a neighbour’s phone,” the FRV said.
The CFA responded to 780 house fires in 2023.
For more information on making an escape plan visit frv.vic.gov.au or cfa.vic.gov.au.
Plan to prevent fire deaths
By BaysideNews
Picture: Adobe Stock