SEAL Survival Guide (40 page)

 If overtaken while in your vehicle, do not leave the car. It should sustain you for at least two to three minutes and might allow the intense flames to pass. Staying in a car longer than that will mean death, and you may have a better chance of fleeing in the direction from which the fire approached.

 If you must cross a fire, douse all clothing with as much water as is available. Remove any clothing that is made of synthetic fiber (material that will melt) and remove jewelry. Cover your head and all extremities with moistened blankets or with whatever is at hand. An outer layer will prevent your clothes from igniting and give you an opportunity to get to an area already scorched.

 If your clothes catch fire, do not stand, as the smoke will enter your lungs. Roll on the ground to extinguish clothing—
stop, drop, and roll!

Building and House Fires

There are more than 350,000 home fires in the United States every year, which account for approximately 3,500 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries. Nearly 85 percent of all U.S. house and building fires are primarily caused by unattended cooking, space heaters, cigarettes, or candles. (Candles are responsible for approximately 6,800 fires annually.) Most fire-related deaths result from toxic fumes and smoke inhalation.

PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Although the discovery of fire has been a major factor in humankind’s dominance and survival since prehistoric times, once fire goes unchecked and is burning rampantly, it is a fearsome enemy. Like an especially combative opponent, it is ruthless, indiscriminate in its destruction, and will not stop until extinguished. In addition, its attacks are unannounced
and can happen at any time. Considering these characteristics of fire, the first course of action is prevention and preparation.

• If you live in an apartment building or work in an office building, know the location of the nearest fire exits. You should know no less than two evacuation options for each floor of your residence. Never use the elevator, as these are virtual wind tunnels for fire to move between floors. If bedrooms are located on the second floor, for example, rope ladders can be used and stored in easily accessible areas.

• As for physical toughness, you should be at least in minimally acceptable physical condition to use the fire escape or designated stairways.

• Practice evacuation during nonemergency conditions so that in the event of a fire you are familiar with it. You should know this escape route thoroughly, counting the number of doors from your office, for example, to the fire exit door. Rehearse this route several times, and when rehearsing at home, include your family. Be able to find your way to the exit with your eyes closed. The evacuation path then becomes a mental file you can draw on in the event of an emergency. There could be no visibility during an actual fire, in addition to your being impeded by other panicking occupants.

• Install and check smoke alarm batteries regularly. It’s a good practice to make this test at a designated time, such as when the clocks have to be changed in the spring and fall. This is especially important if you are renting a place and are unaware of the age or reliability of the smoke alarms installed.

• Install fire extinguishers and check expiration dates. Secure fire extinguishers in areas that are close to likely fire hazards, such as stoves, but not in cabinetry.

• Practice varying evacuation routes, and have alternate paths, depending on the origin of the fire.

• Have means to escape from upper floors. Ensure
all
fire escapes open and operate correctly, especially in older and multistory buildings.

• Establish a designated meet-up point, so that all escaping family members can be accounted for immediately.

FOR RENTERS

If you rent, you must rely on others to correct hazards you observe. You should know the building you live in thoroughly in order to respond effectively to any number of life-threatening situations. If you find any flaws that could impede your survival, such as padlocked exit doors, do not hesitate to contact the landlord or management company (by phone and in written format) to have these unsafe items corrected. It is better to be a politely persistent person and demand to
live in a safe environment now than to have a tag on your toe as a temporary tenant of the morgue later.

WHAT TO DO IN A FIRE

If a fire breaks out in your house, attempt to extinguish it primarily with the proper fire extinguisher. If you have a garden hose near the front or back door, make sure it is long enough to reach kitchen areas. You could attempt to extinguish the fire with water if it remains locally contained, but
do not use water if the source of fire is electrical.
As a final attempt to extinguish the fire, use a nonflammable blanket or coat and attempt to smother it, but do not create a gust of more air by beating at it. As mentioned, most fire fatalities are due to smoke inhalation. If the fire is beyond any reasonable attempt at control, immediately evacuate. The smoke will kill you before the fire does.

FIRE EVACUATION CHECKLIST

 Use a previously established code word (as discussed in other emergency scenarios) to alert all family members to the hazard and the call to action.

 Close doors when leaving rooms. This will slow down the spread of fire.

 Just as fires do in forests, flames move upward in a house or building. Heat and smoke rise; move rapidly, but stay low and as close to the floor as possible.