NJ Fire Chief asks, " Would You Survive a Stamford Fire?"

Many of us heard about the tragic Christmas morning fire that took an entire victorian home and the lives of five people in Stamford, Connecticut... what we may not have considered though, is how well prepared we are for a situation like that. The fire chief of Millburn, NJ calls on us to do just that in his recent article for NorthJersey.com. Chief Michael Roberts of Millburn Fire Department writes an excellent article on how we can best prepare our homes and our families for an emergency like the one that took place in Stamford. You can read the full emergency preparedness article by clicking the link.

Roberts gives really insightful tips especially on preparing your family's children for such an emergency. He says "People should sleep with their bedroom doors closed. This will buy precious time to plan an escape. When the alarm sounds, young children and others needing help should stay in their rooms, unless you direct them otherwise.

They need to have their address memorized and explain to a person where they are located in the house: "I am at a third floor window in the back of the house." In a sleepy panic, you would be surprised how many people can't explain where they are, especially if they slept in a different room that night.

When practical, children should be taught how, when and why to raise a window in an emergency and to call 9-1-1. Make sure the windows are in working order in any room that you or others need to escape from. Do you need a chair or step stool to raise the window? A note on double-hung windows: if you are awaiting rescue, pull the top sash down about 1/3 to release smoke and heat above you. Push up the bottom sash enough so that you can obtain fresh air and exit easily."

It's important that we all consider that tragedies like these, while difficult to think about, can strike at any time and it is absolutely crucial to the safety to our families and homes that we prepare ourselves for them. Here at Paul Davis we would encourage all of our clients to check out this article (linked above) to help prepare themselves for the unthinkable before it is too late!