Staten Island Mail Carrier Teaches Valuable Lesson
A postal carrier recently came to the rescue of a woman while delivering the mail. Raymond Franca of Staten Island was stopped on the street by a woman who was screaming that there was a fire in her house. Franca immediately ran inside and extinguished the fire. Mr. Franca was recently honored for his efforts and my firm congratulates him as well for his heroic actions.
What lesson did Mr. Franca teach us? That we should be prepared for a fire in the event that one breaks out in your home. Every house should have one fire extinguisher at a minimum. The extinguisher should be an all-purpose type, known as an "ABC", which can be used upon all types of fires. Remember, never throw water on a grease fire as that will only serve to spread the flaming grease around your kitchen. The fire extinguisher you choose should be the largest size that you can comfortably handle. The more fire extinguishing chemical the extinguisher holds, the easier it will be to extinguish the fire. Make sure that the fire extinguisher is properly mounted and within easy reach. During a fire, its not the time to go searching for a fire extinguisher that's still in the box, stored away in a closet.
Make sure that you have working smoke detectors on each level of your house and outside of each bedroom. Develop an escape plan to quickly get out of the house in case of a fire. If you have children or elderly living with you, remember that they may need assistance to leave the house. Don't call the fire department from your house - get out of the house and call from a cell phone or a neighbors house.
The time to prepare for a fire is before one happens. Make sure your fire extinguishers are fully charged, your smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries and develop and practice an escape plan. A few simple minutes can help to prevent the loss of a life.
