If an alarm sounds ...

A smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm sounding can be a scary moment. False alarms happen, but it can also be a matter of life or death. So what should residents do if an alarm sounds in their home? Battalion Chief Marty Hamrick with the Jonesboro Fire Department offers the following tips.

IF A FIRE ALARM SOUNDS

Everyone should evacuate. “Have a meeting place outside where everybody gathers and where you can account for everyone,” he says. “Have a plan on how you’re getting out.”

Stay low. Crawl under the smoke to avoid smoke inhalation and to see a clear pathway out of the house.

Shut the door on fires. “If you can’t get out, something as simple as shutting a bedroom door or - if you know where the fire is - shutting a door to contain the fire can buy you some extra time to get out,” he says. “It keeps the fire in check because the fire isn’t able to get oxygen to grow and it will be confined behind the door.”

IF A CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM SOUNDS

Ventilate the area. “Something as simple as opening windows and doors or shutting off an HVAC system will clear out the carbon monoxide pretty quick,” Hamrick says.

Call 911 if experiencing symptoms. “One of the first things you’ll start to experience is a headache,” he says. “It’s almost flu-like symptoms.”