Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today we are very fortunate to have a guest speaker who will talk to us about fire safety at home. I would like to welcome Alan Smith to our program. Welcome, Mr Smith.
Thank you very much.
Now, Mr Smith. Where do most fires start in our houses?
Well, most fires start in the kitchen. In the kitchen we use stoves and ovens and this can be dangerous.
Is that all?
No, that is not all. Faulty electrical wiring can be dangerous and can start fires. Unsupervised children can cause fires when they play around the house especially if they play with matches. People who smoke in beds don't realize how dangerous this can be. People can start a fire when they use candles at home.
And how many people die in house fires in Australia? Do you know?
Oh, yes. There are nearly 70 people who die in house fires every year in Australia. It is also important to know that there are more than 1000 people who suffer from burns in house fires in Australia. Most of them have small burns but I have seen people who have had severe burns too.
And who are most at risk of house fires?
Well, children are at risk in house fires of course because they don't know how dangerous house fires can be. Also very old people are at risk. Some of them can't walk fast enough to escape a house fire.
What can we do to reduce house fires in Australia?
Well, there are many things we can do to reduce the number of house fires.
Can you give us some examples?
Installing a smoke alarm in the house can save lives. It is not a big job to install a smoke alarm. Anyone can do it.
And where do we get fire alarms from? Are they free?
No, they are not free, unfortunately. we need to buy them at the shops. They don't cost a lot of money. $6 or $10 will do. I am sure you can buy more expensive ones at big supermarkets or different shops. It does not matter how much money they cost. The most important thing is that they save lives.
If I can't install them, what can I do?
Well, smoke alarms come with simple instruction sheets. You need to read these sheets and everything should be easy after that. It only takes two or three minutes to install one in your house. You don't need to install them yourself if you can't. Just get a friend to install one for you. My wife installed three smoke alarms in our house.
Three smoke alarms?
Yes, we have three smoke alarms because we know how important it is to have them. They protect our lives and the lives or our children.
Do you need to change the batteries every month?
No, I don't need to change the batteries every month. Actually I change batteries every year. I just make sure they are in good working order from time to time. I test them.
And what can we do to reduce fire risks in our kitchens?
You can use a fire blanket. It looks like a bed sheet but it is especially made to be thrown on fires. It will put the fire out if you have one started in the kitchen.
Does it cost a lot of money to buy a fire blanket?
No, it doesn't cost a lot of money to buy.
What can we do to teach our children about the dangers of fires?
We can sit down and talk to them. It does not matter how old they are. They will understand what we say if we make the information simple. We need to draw a plan and teach them what to do if there is a fire in the house and where to do.
What about calling 000?
Yes, we need to teach them when to call 000 and what to say on the phone. we need them to know the address of the house so they can tell the telephone operator where to send a fire truck or an ambulance to.
Do we need to buy a fire extinguisher and keep it in our house?
No, you don't need to buy a fire extinguisher but if you can afford it, this will be good. You need to know that not all fire extinguishers are used on the same type of fire. One very important thing to know is that if there is an oil fire in the kitchen, you must not use water to try to put it out.
Why? What will happen if I use water?
You will make the fire 10 times bigger if you try to use water.
What do you mean? Can you please explain more?
Well, if you have a house fire that was caused by burning oil, you need a special kind of fire extinguisher to put it out.
What are some of the good things we need to do if there is a fire in the house?
If there is a fire in the house, you need to think quickly. You need to ask yourself "Is it safe for me to put it out?" If the answer is yes, do something at once. Don't put your life in danger. You need to alert other people who are in the house about the fire. Perhaps you will need to crawl to get under the smoke.
Does it take a long time for a fire to spread out of control?
No, it only takes 2 to 3 minutes for a house to be on fire. If you are in a situation like this, just get out of the house at once.
What about the expensive things in the house? Some people try to carry their TVs or computers before they leave the house.
They are crazy. A fire can spread quicker than they may think.
I think there are many things we must be aware of to stay safe at home.
Yes, but it is good to go on the internet and find out more information for yourself. You'll be amazed how serious the problem is and how easy it is to protect ourselves from the dangers of fires.
Thank you very much for you time today.
A pleasure to be here.
