URGENT SAFTY REMINDER

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This post has nothing to do with nursing but I had to write this. Today I had a fire in my kitchen. My stove caught on fire and within only a split second the flames were almost to my curtains. My family and home are safe because we had fire extinquishers.(sp?) Thank God, all I lost was my stove and the whole time I was cleaning up the mess from the extinquisher, I was thanking God that my Dad had hounded me until I purchased alarms and extinquishers for the whole house. It can happen so quickly and your whole life can go up in smoke. Please, ask your friends and family to make sure they are protected and if they are not, purchase these items as gifts for birthdays or holidays or just because....they are not expensive and a few dollars sent sure beats buying funeral flowers. Just had to pass this on. I'm still pretty emotional but thankful and that's why I had to write this post. If only one person listens then it is worth the time spent to write this. Thanks for listening, God Bless.

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Specializes in Peds Homecare.

Duckie...glad you are ok. Hope tomorrow is a better day for you. God bless you and yours.

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Thank you, Duckie. I am going tomorrow to buy new batteries for my smoke alarms. I don't feel we were hounded enuf this year by the news to go change our batteries every time we have a daylight savings time change. I definitely need a kick in the ..., and when I go to Home Depot tomorrow, I will also purchase a fire extinguisher. Thanks for the motivation. Here are my tips since I have two newborns in the family in the last 2 weeks. Don't lay the baby on the stomach, only back or side. Don't cover with heavy blankets. (SIDS threat). And I read yesterday, if you are breastfeeding, don't eat peanuts if there is a hx of allergies in the family. (Sorry, I think that means peaunt butter.) Check it out. Also, everyone knows by now, not to give aspirin to babies, children and teens, this includes pepto-bismol, read the fine print - chance of Reyes syndrome.

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Hello Duckie, Thank you for your urgent message. I am going to forward your post to my friends.

Please share with us which type of fire extinguisher you had used? Do you have a type that you recommend for the kitchen?

Thank you. & God Bless you and your family.

eventsnyc

[This message has been edited by eventsnyc (edited April 07, 2001).]

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First of all, I hope you and your family are okay!! Second, I'm glad you posted this. My husband made fun of me when I INSISTED we buy extra smoke detectors (we have one in the laundry room) carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. Your post proves it...it's GOOD to be prepared!! You'll be in my prayers. smile.gif

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So glad you are o.k and were PREPARED. This is key isn't it? I have a fire ext in the kitchen.I am getting one for the garage and our cars today! Thanks.

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Hello Duckie,

Wow! What an experience, I am glad that you and your family are okay! Thank you for posting this message! I never even thought about purchasing fire extinguishers for my house, but now I am!!! Again thank you for this post and you and your family will be in my prayers. smile.gif

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Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers. We are okay but I have to admit that I'm still pretty shaken up from it all. So glad you didn't think I was posting out of line but I know how I feel and I absolutely don't want anyone else to feel this way. I keep thinking about how I would have gotten my 3 little dogs out of the house by myself, as they got very scared. So, I'm happy to hear you're all checking and buying fire prevention equipment. To "eventsync", I prefer First Alert alarms and my extinquishers are the type for all fires. If I have helped to keep just one of you safe, then I truly thank the dear Lord.

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Specializes in CV-ICU.

Thanks, Duckie, for posting this. I just went and checked my fire extinguishers and all 3 are discharged! My dear ADHD kids have been at it again I bet: I'll go and buy some new ones tomorrow (okay, today, after I get up is what I mean- nothing is open at this time of night to buy fire extinquishers). I'm glad you kind of "forced" me to check this out before I needed them (I did change all of the smoke detector batteries last Sunday when daylight savings time changed, so I was okay there). Fire extinquishers are something that are "there" but kind of "out of sight, out of mind" unless you really need them in a hurry. I can imagine myself trying to use one and finding it discharged- not a good thought.

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THANK YOU for the reminder. I am so glad you are okay-material things can always be replaced. You got me to thinking...Ny parents gave us 2 extinguishers, and I wonder exactly where they are. I think they are in the laundry room, but probably buried in the back of the cleaning supplies and excess paper towels and napkins. In a true emergency, I wouldn't have the time to dig for them. I will go home tonight and put them in plain view.God bless you.

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As I have read all of your posts, I found myself with tears in my eyes. I first have to say once again, thank you for your support and concern. You are all terrific and I thank you so much. But as I was thinking about how great you all are, something occurred to me. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. All I lost in our fire was a stove, but if my post helped to keep just one of you safe, then I thank God for the fire. Once it was out, I shook all over and I cried, to think of just how close we came to loosing so much. I live in a very small town with a volunteer fire dept. and don't get me wrong, they are very devoted and do a wonderful job, but they wouldn't have gotten here fast enough to save my most cherished memories. God was good to us that day, I will never forget that. I have put a reminder on my calendar to check my batteries monthly and make sure our extinquishers are still in good order. I hope you will all do the same and that you will remain safe. Thanks again, you made a scarey time easier to deal with.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, OR.

Glad you are ok Duckie, thats what counts!!!!!!

Rick

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