Did you know?

• Homes with smoke alarms (whether or not they are operational) typically have a death rate that is 40-50% less than the rate for homes without alarms.
• Fires and burns are the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under.
• Children, especially those ages 5 and under, are at the greatest risk from home fire-related death and injury, with a fire death rate twice the national average.
• A less acute perception of danger, less control over their environment, and a limited ability to react promptly and properly to a fire contribute to this excess risk.

Smoke Alarms are Essential

• As of 1997, 94 percent of homes in the United States had at least one smoke alarm.
• However, only three-quarters of all homes had at least one working smoke alarm.
• However, only three-quarters of all homes had at least one working smoke alarm.

Action Plan - Fire prevention starts with you !

Preparation and education are key elements of preventing fire tragedies. Here are a few simple steps for you to help prevent a fire in your home.

• Purchase a smoke alarm. Smoke alarms are available at a variety of price points; they can be battery operated or electrically hard wired in your home. The most important thing to remember is that homes with smoke alarms (whether or not they are operational) typically have a death rate that is 40-50% less than the rate for homes without alarms.
• Install the smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, making sure that there is an alarm outside every separate sleeping area. New homes are required to have a smoke alarm in every sleeping room and all smoke alarms must be interconnected.
• Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises). Ceiling mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.
• Test smoke alarms monthly; follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Replace smoke alarms batteries once a year, or as soon as the battery chirps warning that the battery is low.
• Know what your smoke alarm sounds like. Get out of the house, call 911 and stay out of the house until the fire department arrives.
• Make sure to sleep with your bedroom door closed, as it's the smoke that usually kills not the fire.
• Create and practice an escape route with your family. Mark the two ways out of every room, including doors and windows.
• Chose a safe meeting place outside the home. Make sure to mark this on your escape plan.
• Assign a person in the family to assist infants and older adults in the fire drill and in case of an emergency.
• Practice your plan at least twice a year; make sure everyone participates. Remember it is not a race, get out quickly but carefully.
• Start your drill from the bedrooms since the majority of fatal fires occur at night when people are sleeping.
• Make your drills as realistic as possible by practicing both escape routes. Pretend that a certain exit is blocked by smoke or fire, that there are no lights and the hallways are filling with smoke.
• Smoke contains deadly gases and is hot, so it fills a room from the top down. If you encounter smoke using your primary exit, use your alternate route.
• If you must exit through smoke the best air is several inches off the floor. Get down on your hands and knees, and crawl quickly to the exit.
• Test every door before opening to make sure there's no smoke or fire on the other side. Test by using the back of your hand to touch the door, the doorknob and the space between the door and the frame.
• If any of these feel hot use your second way out. If everything feels cool brace your shoulder against the door, and open carefully. Be ready to slam it shut if heat or smoke rushes in.
• As you leave, close all doors behind you as they slow down the spread of both fire and smoke.