The month of March in the Philippines is the start of our so-called summer season. Though the correct term for this is 'Dry Season'. The Philippines don't have a 'Summer' season.

 

"lighted-matchstick-on-brown-wooden-surface" by Sebastian Sørensen is licensed under CC0

 

 

Setting aside the terminology issue, the dry season (March to May) also records the highest fire incidents. This is why the month of March was set as Fire Prevention Month.

 

Our family experienced a fair share of fire incidents. To put it in perspective, all of us three siblings had an experience with it once or twice.

 

The sad part is we were just collateral damage (nadamay lang) during each incident.

 

Every time it happened, it happened too fast. Our parents can only save us children and nothing else (literally nothing else, except for the clothes we currently wear). After each incident, our parents rebuild everything from the ground up.

 

Thinking about it. These incidents may have been one of the contributing factors why our parents (especially my mother) filled the house with things. This may be a form of getting back all the items we've lost.

 

How can you prepare yourself in case of such incidents?

 

 

Train Your Mind and Body

 

Don't skip the drill. If your school or workplace is holding a fire drill, then participate. You may find fire drills lame, but they can save lives if an actual incident occurs.

 

The upside is you can use these drills as a reason to have a little bit of downtime from work or school.

 

 

Get a Fire Extinguisher

 

Fire Extinguishers are more affordable now compared to the past. A regular household can have one.

 

There are several types of fire extinguishers. Buy the appropriate type and learn how to use them.

 

 

Know Where Your Circuit Breaker Is Located

 

When I was still a student, a fire broke out in our neighbor's house. My first reaction was to get a flashlight and turn off our breaker before going out to help.

 

Fortunately, the response was fast, and our neighbor's house was saved from total fire destruction.

 

 

Make Sure That All Electrical Sockets Are Child Proof

 

Kids are really curious, they touch things, and electrical sockets are no exception.

 

Make sure that they don't have access to any electrically conductive material. Implement safety covers to sockets.

 

Also, avoid octopus wiring.

 

 

Implement Some Interior Design in Your Home

 

Interior design does not only mean beautifying things. It also means to set up things to ensure safety.

 

Some examples are:

 

• You can't install flammable or combustible material near your kitchen.
• Make sure that kids don't have access to flammable materials (like candles or matches) and/or chemicals (kerosene).
• Implement an exhaust ventilation to avoid chemical (LPG) build up.

 

 

Secure Documents in One Place

 

If you have important documents like titles, insurance policies, wills, IDs, and others. You can put it in a separate bag along with some emergency cash and first aid kits.

 

In case of fire, after prioritizing the lives of your loved ones, you can then grab this bag to safety.

 

 

Prioritize Life

 

Material things can be replaced, documents can be replaced, but life can't be replaced.

 

Once lost, it will not be given back. No amount of prayer and regret can overturn it.

 

In case of emergency, Prioritize life.

 

 

Closing Thoughts

 

Losing everything due to a fire incident is a very traumatic event. You really don't know what to do next. It will even take some time before you can get back on your feet and move on.

 

Remember that preparation is the key to ensuring safety. However, in the face of an actual event, you tend to forget this and operate purely on instinct. This is just human nature.

 

Fortunately, this instinct of ours is set to prioritize life. It is even set to prioritize the lives of our loved ones before our own.

 

 

 

What you should do today

 

 

 

 

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