| You live in a neighborhood of newer homes, all are light weight construction, and you notice a light smell of smoke in the area. When you look around the neighborhood you see a home where it's occupants are on vacation with black smoke coming from the eaves.
What do you do?
(A) Call Chester County 9-1-1 and report the incident staying on the phone while the call-taker verifies your address and you answer all the questions.
(B) Clear the street in front of your neighbor's house and the nearest fire hydrant by asking others to move their cars.
(C) Break down the front door and yell inside the house to ensure there are no occupants.
(D) Get your garden hose and try to reach the neighbor's house to help in fighting the fire.
ANSWER:
(A) and (B) are correct answers. Obviously (A) should be first. (C) could be a very dangerous response and (D) is not helpful in the fire suppression efforts.
DISCUSSION:
"Adding air to a building without the immediate application of water on today's fires greatly increases fire spread and reduces survivability for victims and firefighters."
Firefighter Call to Action, International Association of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health and Survival Section and the International Society of Fire Instructors, Dec 23, 2013. |
