Part 5 · Safety and emergencies
Emergencies at home: fire, gas, and how to get out
Content under professional review before publication.
1The alarms that warn in time
The problem
In a fire there may be only one or two minutes to get out. Without an alarm to warn, the smoke reaches the sleeping person before they wake up. Most home fire deaths happen where there was no alarm or it did not work.
What is happening underneath
An older person or one with reduced mobility takes longer to react and to get out. That is why early warning saves lives: it gives the time the body needs.
Step by step
- Put smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. If you can, have them interconnected: one sounds, they all sound.
- Put carbon monoxide alarms too (a gas you cannot see or smell), outside the bedrooms and on every level.
- Test all the alarms once a month with the test button, and change the batteries when they signal. Replace the device every 10 years.
- If the person hears poorly, get alarms with a flashing light or a bed shaker.
- If they cannot test the alarms on their own, do it yourself: it is part of the care.
What you must never do
- Never take the battery out of an alarm to make it stop sounding and leave it without replacing it.
- Never put the smoke alarm right next to the kitchen: false alarms make people disconnect it. Leave it at least 10 feet (3 m) from the stove.
- Never ignore a carbon monoxide alarm that sounds: get everyone out to fresh air and call emergency services.
When to ask for help
Many fire departments install alarms for free or help check the home. If the person lives alone, ask for it: it is a service that exists in many places.
2The escape plan
The problem
When the alarm sounds, it is not the time to think but to get out. If no one planned how, a person who walks slowly or uses a wheelchair can get trapped.
What is happening underneath
Getting out fast depends on two things: early warning and a practiced plan. Having the route thought out beforehand saves the seconds that decide everything.
Step by step
- Think of two ways out of each room, and check that the hallways are clear and that doors and windows open easily. If they use a walker or wheelchair, measure that it fits through the doors.
- Assign one person to help the one with reduced mobility get out, and a second one in case the first is not there.
- If possible, have the bedroom on the ground floor and near an exit.
- At night, leave by the bed the glasses, hearing aids, cane or wheelchair, and phone, to grab them instantly.
- Agree on a meeting point outside, at a safe distance, for everyone. Never use the elevator in a fire: only the stairs. If there is smoke, get low and move underneath it.
What you must never do
- Never go back in to get things: once outside, you stay outside.
- Never use the elevator during a fire.
- Never block the exits with furniture or boxes.
When to ask for help
If the person needs special help to get out, tell the fire department and trusted neighbors in advance. If smoke traps you and you cannot get out: close the doors between you and the fire, seal the cracks with towels, call emergency services with your exact location, and make yourself seen at the window with a flashlight or a light-colored cloth.
3Gas, oxygen, and the kitchen
The problem
Fire does not always start with visible flames. A gas leak, a slip in the kitchen, or poorly handled medical oxygen can be as dangerous as a fire.
What is happening underneath
Gas and carbon monoxide cannot be seen; oxygen makes everything burn faster. Knowing these silent dangers prevents most accidents.
Step by step
- If you smell gas: do not turn lights or appliances on or off (a spark is enough), do not light a flame, open windows, leave the house, and call the gas company or emergency services from outside.
- If the person uses medical oxygen, let no one smoke nearby and keep the oxygen away from fire, at least 5 feet (1.5 m) from heaters, burners, or candles.
- In the kitchen, do not leave pots on the heat unattended. Use a timer that reminds you something is cooking, especially if there is forgetfulness.
- Check that heaters, water heaters, and braziers are well ventilated: carbon monoxide comes from gas, wood, or coal appliances that are poorly ventilated.
- Never run a generator, a grill, or a combustion engine inside the house or a closed garage.
What you must never do
- Never light a match, a lighter, or a light if you suspect a gas leak.
- Never smoke near medical oxygen.
- Never leave the stove on unattended.
When to ask for help
At unusual headache, nausea, or drowsiness in several people in the house at the same time, suspect carbon monoxide: get everyone out to fresh air and call emergency services. To check gas, water heaters, and ventilation, call a licensed technician.
What about the home?
This library is free. iliapp.com is a professional service that assesses the home to make it safer.
Discover iliapp.com- This content is for educational and general guidance purposes. It does not replace the official instructions of the fire service, the gas company, or the emergency service in your area.
- Emergency numbers, regulations, and services vary by country. Learn and keep handy those of your place.
- Inclusive Living International (ILI), together with its directors, employees, and representatives, shall not be liable for injuries, accidents, damages, or outcomes arising from the application of this information.
- Use of this guide is the responsibility of the person applying it. At fire, smoke, a smell of gas, or suspected carbon monoxide, getting out and calling emergency services is always first.
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Content based on public-health and caregiver-support guidance and on internationally recognized clinical consensus. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any organization.