Over 43 million Americans have a disability.
Over 43 million Americans have a disability. The sad reality is that disabled individuals have a higher risk of not surviving a residential fire. Therefore, residential fire safety plans should always keep a disabled individual in mind. Some things to keep in mind are that most house fires that involve disabled individuals start in the kitchen. Cooking is the top cause of house fires that involve those with a disability. If you’re living with a disabled person or know of any, you need to know what to do in the case of a fire emergency. Keep reading to learn fire safety tips for disabled individuals.
What to Do If The Individual Has Cognitive Deficits
The term “disabled” doesn’t just refer to those who aren’t able-bodied. There are mental disabilities that may prevent a person from understanding that a fire emergency is happening in the first place. If you’re the parent or caretaker of someone living with a mental disability, then you need to practice fire safety plans regularly, more than twice a year is best. If the person has impaired vision or hearing, invest in a vibrational fire alarm. If you find that the loud noise of the smoke detector causes distress, there are vocal alarms out on the market.
Using visual aids are helpful as well as allowing the disabled individual to meet a firefighter so that they become familiar. It’s also vital that you notify the fire department that a physical or mentally disabled person lives in the home as well as neighbors or anyone that could be of service.
Live In A Home That’s Near An Exit
If you live in an apartment building, choose the ground floor. If you live in a home with many levels, you want to make sure that the first floor is wheelchair accessible or has a flat-leveled exit. You can also set up sleeping arrangements on the first floor, causing an evacuation to be much easier to execute.
Planning The Escape
You need to know multiple ways in which to exit the home in case of a fire emergency. Having a plan is beneficial to everyone. Make sure that people who use a walker or wheelchair can safely get through doorways, entryways, and exits. If this is not the case, you should install exit ramps and find ways to widen the doorways.
Commercial and Residential Fire Prevention from Judd Fire Protection
If you want to ensure your home and business are safe throughout the year, trust Judd Fire Protection, LLC. We have over two decades of experience in designing, installing, inspecting, and repairing residential and commercial fire protection systems. We serve clients throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. If you are interested in finding out more about our services and protecting your home and business, give us a call at 410-871-3480 or contact us online. For more fire safety tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.