Close before you Doze!

Did you know that sleeping with the bedroom door closed is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and your family in the event of a fire in your home? The Fire Research Safety Institute (FSRI), a division of Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL), has coined the phrase “Close Before You Doze” to educate communities on the benefits of sleeping with the door closed. You may have seen a special report on this on NBC’s Today show.

Closed doors offer a multitude of protective measures including: slowing the spread of smoke and fire, reduced room temperatures, and reduced levels of carbon monoxide, to name a few. All of this equates to more time for you to escape should a fire occur in your home. Studies have shown, that from the time of the ignition of a fire, your family may have as little as three minutes to escape safely.  Synthetic materials, modern construction methods, and open floor plans have reduced escape times by over 80% compared to 40 years ago. Couple this with the fact that 50% of home fire deaths occur between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am, and you can easily realize the potential risk to you and your family.

Fire departments around the country continue to reiterate the drastic differences between fire scenes where doors were closed, versus those that were not.   Numerous pictures have surfaced showing the dramatic comparisons between a room with a closed door versus the hallway just outside. Rooms behind closed doors during a fire are almost untouched. Clean white walls and bedding are easily recognizable versus a black soot-covered and charred scene. It is a clear representation of the potential benefit to you and your family.

We want you to be prepared for a fire in your home.  Having working smoke detectors and sleeping with your bedroom door closed give your family the best chance to escape should a fire occur. We cannot stress enough the importance of practicing fire safety. Ensure you have working smoke detectors, test them often, have an escape plan, and close before you doze!