By Elsie Udoh
What do you do if you wake up one morning to go to the market with the thought of returning home very quickly only to get stuck in a fire incident while in the market?
I am certain that the traders and patrons of goods in the Tejuosho market on the 1st of November, can provide a suitable answer to the above question.
A fire outbreak can be very disastrous, even life-shortening. When it occurs, it throws people into a state of confusion, panic and fear such that if much care is not taken, in a bid to get away from the fire, they might run right into it.
If you are ever a victim of a fire incident, here are five useful tips to help fireproof yourself:
1. Avoid over-panicking. As much as this is inevitable, over-panicking dulls one’s reasoning and can make a person take rash and dire actions. Stop and think.
2. Call for help. Contact the local firefighters via their hotlines: 767 or 112.
3. Raise an alarm. Alert others about the fire so that they can find a means to prevent it from escalating before the arrival of the fire fighters.
4. Run for your life. In a bid to shield oneself from the fire, a person might result to hiding. This can be very dangerous because when help eventually comes, you will not be seen to be saved. Hence, try to escape from the fire.
5. Finally, if in the course of getting away from the fire, your clothes start to burn remember the SDR formula. Stop, Drop and Roll. Do not turn to try to run because this will only worsen the situation.
Bonus Tip: Above all, remember that your life matters the most. In the case of a fire outbreak, the paramount thing is to seek safety do not try to protect or return for your belongings or other valuables. Your life is worth much more. So get away as fast as you can without looking back.
