Escaping Safely

Practice escape plans every month. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room. If the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. A secondary route might be a window onto an adjacent roof or using an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) listed collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows. Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened. Also, practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.

1. Fires are extremely disorienting, mostly as a result from the blinding, choking smoke. To see and breathe clearly, don your Xcaper Emergency Smoke Mask and googles.
   
2. If your XCaper Emergency Smoke Mask and googles are in another room and your home is filled with smoke, leave them behind. Get down as low as you can and crawl towards the exit. This will help keep you from inhaling too much smoke.
3. If escaping through a closed door, always make sure to feel the door handle before opening it. If the door handle is warm, use your alternate escape route.
4. Once outside, stay outside. Never try to reenter your home in order to gather any belongings.
5. Always assume that the fire has gone unreported. Ask a neighbor to call the fire department. Making sure that the fire department responds quickly is essential to preserving your home and the area surrounding it.

For more fire safety tips, please visit http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/

Go back to fire safety.

Life Saving Safety Gear

Fire safety in the home is an important issue for anyone who is aware of the serious consequences of smoke inhalation. Now an incredible piece of fire safety gear, the Xcaper Personal Smoke Mask, is available for the first time to consumers across the country as a potentially life saving tool. Xcaper is unique among fire prevention products. When you wear it in a smoke-filled building or environment, it allows you to breathe comfortably and safely- and see clearly- for up to 30 minutes depending upon the conditions, giving you valuable time to escape or be rescued by firefighters. Smoke inhalation is responsible for 75% of all fire related fatalities, but with the Xcaper personal smoke mask you can breathe, see, and think clearly, giving you more time to be rescued. For more information on home fire prevention please check the links on our Safety Resources page, and prepare yourself and your family by purchasing your own Xcaper at our Shop page today.