Fire Prevention
- Smoke detectors in every room, preferably tied together to activate all at once.
- Replace hollow core doors with solid core, particularly bird room(s) and bedroom(s)
- SLEEP WITH THE INDIVIDUAL DOORS CLOSED, even the baby's
- The ceramic heaters and radiators are very safe for the birds- plug them into GFI-equipped power strips or convert their wall plugs to GFI anyway.
- If you have a bird room, ONLY the heater, and a light for night frights birds, should be plugged in at night.
- For those who do not have a bird room, you should consider designing/using an impermeable cage cover. A cage cover, such as a tarp, which would have to be kept off the cage bars for toxicity reasons, and would go to within 8"-12" of the floor, could provide MINUTES of extra evacuation time in an area away from the fire.
Evacuation in Case of Fire
- Will your bird cages fit out through any window or exterior door in the room they are kept?
- Have a plan about who is taking whom out- IF CONDITIONS PERMIT. Such as "Go into the bird room, close the door behind you, everyone out through the window. NEVER GO BACK INTO THE BUILDING ONCE YOU ARE OUT!
- Do you have a hidden key on each vehicle for when you lock your keys inside? ...which will also give you access to safe places for the birds outside the home...
- Touch the knob before you open ANY door- metal conducts heat much more quickly than wood. Then check the wood, too. ALWAYS use the BACK of your hand- that way, if you ever touch electricity, the spasm will pull your hand away from the shock and not cause you to grab it.
- ABC extinguishers and pressurized water are safe for birds.