8 minutes until the fire truck arrives. 3 habits to protect your home in the meantime 🚒

April 23rd is 'Fire Truck Day'.

However, true disaster prevention means having a home that doesn't need a fire truck to come at all.

Hello, I'm Shirin Moriguchi.
As a certified fire equipment technician, I share information on 'comprehensive disaster prevention for daily life'.

In this article, I will share '3 habits to prevent fires' that you can start today, along with the basics of fire extinguishers.

No difficult knowledge is required.
Small, accumulated habits lead to protecting your family and your home.

Do you know how many minutes it takes for a fire truck to arrive?

The national average time from a 119 call to the arrival of a fire truck isabout 8 to 9 minutes.

Fire spreads rapidly in the first 3 minutes, and once it reaches the ceiling, it quickly becomes uncontrollable.

In other words,by the time the fire truck arrives, it may already be too late.

That is why 'preparation before the fire truck arrives' is so important.

3 habits to prevent fires

Things I realized after studying for my certification and learning about the field:
Preventing fires is more aboutsmall daily habitsthan difficult knowledge.

1. Always turn off the stove when leaving it
'Just for a moment' can be fatal.
A delivery arrives, the phone rings—in that short time, it can turn into flames.

2. Wipe dust off outlets once a month
Be careful with the back of appliances that are always plugged in, like refrigerators and washing machines.
You can prevent tracking fires just by wiping them with a dry cloth.

3. Keep a 50cm clearance around heating appliances
Do not place clothing or paper near heaters.
This alone significantly lowers the risk of fire.

Do you have a fire extinguisher?

If you can perform initial firefighting (before the fire reaches the ceiling), damage can be kept to a minimum.

A single fire extinguisher can save a home.

For first-time buyers, I recommenda residential ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher (small, 1-2kg).
It is also effective for oil and electrical fires.

The best place to install it is in the kitchen or near the entrance—basically, near an escape route.

You can remember how to use it with the mnemonic 'Pinokio'.

• Pin (Pull the safety pin)

• Nozzle (Point the hose at the base of the fire)

• Kiu (Squeeze the lever)

• Owattara (Escape immediately after spraying)

Try saying it out loud once. It will stick with you.

Summary

• It takes an average of 8-9 minutes for a fire truck to arrive—whether you can perform initial response in that time makes all the difference.

• Just by reviewing your habits around stoves, outlets, and heating appliances, you can significantly lower the risk of fire.

• Keep one residential ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher (small) in the kitchen or near the entrance.

• If you remember how to use it with 'Pinokio', your body will know what to do in an emergency.

• Check your fire alarm once a month by pressing the button.

When you think 'I have to do disaster prevention perfectly,' it's easy to put it off.

But if you add just one habit today, that is enough.
Accumulating small preparations leads to peace of mind when it matters most.

I hope this note serves as your 'first step'.