Disaster

Readiness and
Risk Reduction
Precautionary Measures
and
Proper Procedures in
Addressing a Fire
Incident
 Suspect and
Inspect, But Do Not
Neglect!
 Most of the incidents caused by
fire are due to inability of the
family or the community to prepare
for the possibility. To make our
family prepared we should start to
assess our house and identify
things that can be hazardous that
might result to fire incident.
 There is a saying that “It is better to
be robbed than to lose all your
belongings or assets because of fire
incident.” In order to prevent this from
happening, you should know the main
cause of fire and fire hazards and to
learn how to deal with it. From this
knowledge you are now equipped to
make a contingency plan for your family
1. Cooking Safety
- Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires,
and unattended cooking is the top
contributing factor (Bitonio 2013). Since
kitchen is the most used part of the
house and is most vulnerable to fire, it is
very important to know the most
appropriate actions to be done when
kitchen fire starts.
Things to do to prevent cooking fire:

•  Do not leave your cooking

unattended.
•  Keep handles of pots and pans
turned in.
•  Don’t put anything that catches
fire near your stove or burner.
Things to do to control cooking fire:

•  Cover the fire by placing a lid over the

pan.
•  Turn off the burner or stove.
•  In case of oven fire, turn off the heat
and keep the door closed.
•  In case of microwave fire, unplug the
power source and keep the door closed.
2. Cigarettes
- Cigarettes are the leading causes of fire deaths in city,
state, and national level (Bitonio 2013). The fire
victims include not only the smokers but their
families, friends and neighbors. Mostly, cigarette fires
are due to improper disposal of cigarette butts that
are still lit. Normally, it will start outdoor then spread
out until it reaches some structures nearby. In some
cases, house fire due to cigarettes is caused by
human negligence like falling asleep while smoking or
smoking near flammable materials.
Fires from smoking material can be prevented by following
these tips:

•  Do not smoke in bed or anywhere that you might fall

asleep.
•  If you smoke, do it outside.
•  Do not discard cigarettes in potted plants, landscaping
vegetation or bark dust – they can easily catch fire.
•  Use a deep, sturdy ashtray or a non-combustible
container that cannot be tipped over.
•  Before throwing away butts or ashes, douse in water or
sand.
•  Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used.
3. Electrical Safety
- Electrical problem is one of the
causes of structure fires and fire
deaths. Fire incidents due to
electrical wiring are caused by
faulty wiring and faulty
equipment or appliances.
Fires caused by electric can be prevented
by the following appropriate actions.
• Avoid overloading outlets. One outlet is to one high-
wattage appliance at a time.
• Don’t use an extension cord with a major appliance
like television, air conditioner and refrigerator. Plug
it in a major power outlet.
• Do not place extension cords under carpets or
mattresses because it will heat up and cause fire.
• Do regular checking of electrical cords and replace
immediately if damaged.
4. Candle Safety
- During brown out or power
outage, candles are the most
popular source of light because
it is always available even in
sari-sari stores.
The following are the safety tips on how to
prevent candle fire from happening
 Use candle holders that are stable to prevent the
candle from falling into the floor or near something
that is flammable or easily burn.
 Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything
that can burn.
 Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to
bed; avoid the use of candles in rooms where people
may fall asleep.
 Never burn a candle if medical oxygen or any
flammable substance is nearby.
Fire Safety
Signs
- Fire safety signs are color coded
for easier identification and
determination which is mandatory
and which should be avoided. It is
very important to be
knowledgeable or to be familiar
with the color and the
corresponding meaning of the
 Fire exit signs are
colored green and
white as this color
combination means a
safe condition.
Normally fire exit signs
show rapidly walking
man and an arrow.
However, some fire exit
signs just show ‘fire
exit’ text in lower case
 Blue fire safety signs are
used to indicate a
mandatory action or a
must do action. These
blue signs mean that you
need to do the
appropriate action for
your safety. Blue fire
safety signs are circular
in shape and feature a
white graphic or white
text.
- Red fire safety signs are
used to indicate prohibition or
you must not go on that
location because it might pose
danger or harm. It also
signifies the location of fire
equipment and supplementary
information. When it means
prohibition, it is circular with a
red border, white background
and black image.
Performance Task:
If there will be an occurrence of fire in
your residence, do you think that the
members of your household are prepared
and knowledgeable on what to do? Based
from what you have learned about fire
hazards, create your own Contingency
Plan or household preparedness plan.
Apply basic response
procedures
during a fire incident
Good fire safety practice that you should follow
includes:

1. Keeping your workplace tidy and having a

good standard of housekeeping;
2. Regularly removing combustible waste,
including accumulations of dust;
3. Keeping ignition sources away from
combustible material or flammable liquids and
gases; and
4. Keeping use of flammable liquids to a
 Rescue all stakeholders from direct danger.
Note: you will only try to RESCUE anyone in immediate danger
from the fire, if. It does not endanger your life.
 Alarm by pulling the closest fire station and reporting the location
of the fire. Sound the fire alarm in order to warn people of the
approaching disaster and safely evacuate all stakeholders
 Confine the area by closing all doors.
A "contained” fire is one with a complete containment line around
its perimeter. A fire that's “under control” has a full containment
line around it, and there has been a degree of consolidation so
fire escaping outside the lines is unlikely.
 Extinguish the fire if the fire is small. Evacuate all personnel from
the area if instructed to do so by fire officials or school authorities
To extinguish a fire is to completely stop a fire.
 What you
should do
during a fire
1. Check the door
- Check if there is smoke coming from under the door
or if the door is hot to touch. If the door is cool to
touch, open it slowly and pass. If not, keep it closed
and stay in the room. Place wet towels on the gaps to
prevent fire and smoke from coming in. Have
someone pop out of a window and wave something
bright, like a flashlight or a brightly- colored cloth, to
signal for help. Once out of the room, use your
building’s emergency exit and evacuate immediately
without panic.
2. P.A.S.S
- To use a fire extinguisher, first Pull the
pin in the handle. Aim the nozzle at
the base of the fire. Squeeze the lever
slowly and Sweep from side to side. Use
a fire extinguisher if and only if it is
within reach, and only to put out small
fires. If the fire is big, leave!
3. Stay Low
- Crawl and cover your nose and
mouth. Smoke is toxic and
inhaling large amounts can render
you unconscious. Once you are
outside, call the fire department. Do
not attempt to go back to the
burning building.
4. Stop, Drop, and Roll
- If your clothes caught fire, do not
panic or touch the flame as it could only
spread the fire. Stop moving, Drop on
the ground, and Roll around until the
fire is put out. Doing this will lessen
injuries and put out the fire as quickly
as possible
5. National Emergency
Hotline 911
- Nothing is better than being
prepared. Before fire happens, be
aware of the fire exits in your
building and homes. Make sure
you know the emergency numbers
for your town or city.
 What you
should NOT do
during a fire
1. Don’t install smoke alarm
detectors.
- A smoke detector gives early
warning of a fire increasing the
chances of escape. They are so
cheap and easy to fit you can
have no excuses
2. Pop upstairs to retrieve
heirlooms, passports and
pets
- Fire can spread very quickly
blocking your escape route.
Keep that sort of stuff on the
ground floor.
3. Throw water on a pan
fire.
- We all know that water doesn’t mix
with oil. The burning oil will explode
spreading the fire and engulfing you in
the process. If you are going to throw
anything make it a purpose made fire
blanket or use a class F extinguisher.
4. Try and escape using an
Elevator.
- The electric circuits are
often the first to blow. Being
trapped in an elevator in a fire
could roast you alive. Always
use the stairwells.
5. Jump from an upstairs
window
- The fall could kill you. Use
blankets as a rope and throw
mattresses out to cushion the
landing or better still use a
purpose made escape ladder.
6. Hide in a cupboard or
under the bed.
- Hard enough for the fire
service without having to
play hide and seek and it
won’t save you from the
smoke and heat.
7. Delay calling the Fire and
Rescue Services.

- Don’t dilly dally. Make

them your first call to
action. Seconds save
lives.
- Since fire is considered to be one of the
disasters that may cause great damage to
human beings, it is therefore important that
students like you will have the basic knowledge
on how can you take part in the community’s
drive for you awareness. It is important that
you have knowledge on fire safety and
precautions in order for you to have better
idea on how to prevent it from happening.
 School Fire
Safety Education
 Educating and preparing students for a fire emergency should
be a priority.

 Conduct expected and unexpected monthly school fire drills in

which everyone participates.

 Inspect exits regularly to ensure stairways, doors and windows

are unblocked and working properly.

 Train students on how to respond to a fire alarm during a school

fire drill.

 Know locations of the fire protection system, fire alarm pull

stations and sprinklers.
 Make sure every room has a map showing 2 exits.

 Pair students with specific needs to an adult or classmate

for extra assistance.

 Have a predetermined location where students know to

meet once they exit the building and practice during a
school fire drill.

 Have a list to ensure every student is accounted for.

 Encourage parents to practice home fire drills, and

prepare them in the event of a residential fire.
Thank you for
Listening