NORTH SHORE resident Marg Durst does some
maintenance on baskets of hanging fuchsias and
geraniums in her front yard.

fires than any other kind

ANOTHER ‘FIRE Prevention
‘Week’’ has ended, but in spite of
-our “Don’t Wait, Plan Your
Escape,”” campaign, we still find
’ that the majority of families do
- - not realize the significance of this
important and vital strategy.

~ = More people die from home
fires than any cther kind. Over
+5,006 people perish every. year in
‘homie : fires. because they don’t
“know what to do.
* « Hopefully,, your family has
: prepared. and practiced a home
-'fite escape plan. One important
pact of such a plan is locating and
learning to use emergency ways
out and alternative routes to safe-
ty. ‘The District of North Van-
couver Fire’ Department suggests
that you practice using emergency
exits to make sure they are usable.
It’s too late to discover your win-
dow is stuck shut and won’t open
when a fire is occurring.

_ In most homes and apartments,
- emergency exits are usually win-
dows or stairways. Make sure
" wiridows can be opened and that
Screens and storm windows can be
removed from the inside. Make
sure .children can operate Jocks
and know how to get out quickly
without waiting for you. H they
cannot get out, they should know
how to wait at the window for
help, where firefighters can see
them.

‘Make sure everybody learns to
. Stay low and crawl to the nearest
_ exit.
If bedrooms are on the second
floor, provide fire escape ladders.
Many hardware, lumber stores
and fire extinguisher retailers sell
fire escape ladders.: Most fatal

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North Vancouver
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home fires begin at night while we
are asleep. Although most people
plan to tie bedsheets together to

‘form a rope, theré is usually not.

enough time.to do so in a. fire.
Jumping from a_ second-storey
window can cause severe injuries.

’ If you live in an apartment or’

condominium and your - enclosed
stairways are your emergency exit,
practise finding them in the dark.
First, count the number of
doors from your room to the exit
stairway.’ You probably won't be
able to see the exit sign above the

door through the smoke. Once in

the stairway, go down to the out-

icc

side. Go up. to the roof only if
you are forced by smoke to do so.
Most fire departments do not have
helicopters ready to scoop you off
the rooftop. Remember, do not

prop the exit stairway doors open. .

Once smoke enters the stairway,
your escape route is not safe.

Your family may have several
alternative routes to take in case
of fire. Make sure you practice all
of.them as much as possible. Fast
actions are needed in a fire and
trained ‘responses help in an

emergency, .

‘If your family does not have a
home fire escape plan, call the
District of North Vancouver Fire
Department non-emergency
number, 980-7575, and/or your
local fire department for informa-

_ tion and assistance in developing a

plan for your home.

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