Emergency preparedness is a thing now. Natural disasters and crime have Jamaicans on the alert. We store panic buttons, house alarms, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and even pepper spray. But getting into or out of our home or car fast brings on finding our keys and using them efficiently.
The Jamaica Fire Brigade urges us to rethink the number of keys we carry. In an emergency, every second matters, and we shouldn’t waste time fumbling with multiple keys on huge keyrings.
In tense situations, we get anxious and confused. We may know which key is needed, but finding it in a panic could be challenging. Carrying every key we own on one ring seems convenient, but JFB Superintendent Emeleo Ebanks recommends only essential keys for safety and organization.
Ebanks recalls a tragic incident where a resident couldn’t escape a fire because they couldn’t find the right key in time. While these situations are rare, they’re devastating when they do occur.
JFB Deputy Commissioner Sean Martin suggests separating indoor keys from outdoor ones, only keeping those needed to access the house from outside and leaving others at home. Martin also recommends using a single key for multiple locks. This lightens your keyring so you can respond faster. He advised that we only give keys to reliable household members and keep a spare key in a safe place.
While we’re simplifying our keyrings, we can consider other tools for our safety. Keep a fire extinguisher in key areas of the home to contain a small fire or, at least, clear a path to escape. Regularly check fire extinguishers, and let everyone in the household know where it’s located and how to use it.
It’s easy to overlook small details. In an emergency, however, the simplest changes can have the biggest impact. Small choices, like streamlining keys and having fire safety tools on hand, can be life-saving. Every second counts when it comes to safety. So be prepared!