Home Fire Safety

11/1/2019 (Permalink)

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives. Learn what else to do to keep your loved ones safe!

1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
2. Test smoke alarms every month. If they’re not working, change the batteries.
3. Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.
4. If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP. Never go back inside for anything or anyone.

Tips for good Family Fire Safety Preparedness:

1. Teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
2. Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home and know the family meeting spot outside of your home.
3. Establish a family emergency communications plan and ensure that all household members know who to contact if they cannot find one another.
4. Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year. Press the smoke alarm test button or yell “Fire“ to alert everyone that they must get out.
5. Make sure everyone knows how to call 911.
6. Teach household members to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.

If you do nothing else:

Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.

Smoking materials are the leading cause of residential fire deaths in the United States. If you smoke, take precautions: Smoke outside; choose fire-safe cigarettes; never smoke in bed, when drowsy or medicated, or if anyone in the home is using oxygen.

Use deep, sturdy ashtrays and douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.

Talk to children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.

Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Never leave a burning candle unattended, even for a minute.

*Source: www.redcross.org