 Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and outside each bedroom, test them regularly (a great opportunity to practice your home fire escape plan!) and change the batteries at least twice a year. Keep a fire extinguisher handy on each level of your home and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use it.- Develop a home escape plan with 2 ways out of every room. Practice it until every member of your family understands it and can follow it when a fire occurs, even in the middle of the night.
- Teach your family to roll out of bed and crawl low under smoke. This will reduce the chances of inhaling superheated, toxic smoke and gasses. Always check doors for heat before opening them…if hot, use a secondary escape route (i.e., the window).
- Consider installing drop-down escape ladders inside upper story windows, and practice using them. They store in wood or metal boxes at the base of the window and can be deployed in seconds, even by young children.
- Teach your children to never play with matches, lighters or any form of fire, and how to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch fire.
- Remember to keep all oily rags and fireplace ashes in closed metal containers outside the house. Don’t store flammable or combustible liquids in the house, never overload electrical outlets or run extension cords under rugs or furniture, and never leave cooking materials unattended.
By following these simple fire safety rules, you can help keep your loved ones safe from the tragedy of a home fire. |