The photo above is an example of a fire protection system. So, there’s an alarm to alert you, sprinklers that contain water as well as a fire extinguisher to assist in the quenching/quelling of the fire. I think in Nigeria, one should go more for complete quenching as it is safe to assume that you will not get timely or meaningful help from the fire service. I am not blaming them directly for this as I want to believe that it is bad funding/planning on the government’s part that is responsible for this.Imagine we had Mr. A and Mr. B living in the same area, with Mr. A’s house having a fire protection system and Mr. B’s house not having any at all, who do you think will fare better in a fire?
So, I was going to go on about how to leave your house. Yep, there is a method. It is not safe to just get up and walk out especially if the fire has advanced.
Best thing is to get on your hands and knees and crawl out of there. The science behind it is that when there is smoke, it rises. So the safest place to be is on the ground which should essentially be smokeless. The smoke goes up so you should go down. The number one killer during a fire is not the fire itself but smoke inhalation. You should try as much as possible to avoid inhalation of this smoke.
When crawling towards the door, use the back of your hand to feel for obstructions/obstacles in front of you. Not too far in front, just immediately in front. When you get to a door, use the back of your hand to feel the door. If it is very hot, it is possible that there is a fire on the other side of the door and that you should use an alternative means of escape.
I recognize that it is particularly challenging in Nigeria where landlords do not always provide a fire escape or even a back door. In some houses, the "back door" is adjacent to the front door and leads out to essentially the same place. Consider using a balcony if it is built in such a way that you can safely climb down. Or better still when picking out a house to live in, make sure that there is a back door that is very separate from the front door. It may just save your life.
There is no way that I can fully do the topic: fire safety justice with just 2 posts and will probably get back to it at some point.
However, please watch the video below as it teaches how to use a fire extinguisher. I can not embed the video, so please just follow the link here: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/2820-fire-safety-how-to-operate-a-fire-extinguisher
The extinguisher that I would advise that you get for your house is the ABC.
Rmemeber, all this knowledge is for naught if you do not share it! Call a meeting of your housemates or other tenants if you can and share! Remember that safety is a collaborative effort. The more aware and knowledgeable people around you are, the safer you may be.
Be Safe, Stay Green.
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