October is Fire Prevention Month!

Fire Prevention Month raises awareness about fire safety and home safety to help ensure your home and family are prepared in the case of an emergency.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s 2018 campaign for Fire Prevention Week is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. A fire can be anywhere.”

Every family’s safety plan will be different that is why it is important to sit down with the whole family and talk about fire, carbon monoxide safety and have an escape plan that is practiced regularly. That way, if an emergency does occur everyone knows what to do.

This is a great time to test the alarms together to show them what the alarm sounds like, and teach them not to be afraid of the sound but what to do when they hear it. Design your escape plan and meeting place and practice it with the whole family. Make sure your kids know Stop, Drop, and Roll and that 9-1-1 should always be called in case of an emergency.

Smoke Alarms:

Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of the home.
They should also be placed in every bedroom and outside of every sleeping area.  Make sure to keep them cleaned so that dust, pollen and pet dander do not affect the alarm’s sensor.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms:

CO alarms can be placed anywhere in the room, they do NOT need to be close to the ground or the ceiling. Carbon monoxide distribute evenly through the air, so an alarm will detect it no matter what height it is installed at.  These detectors should be replaced every 5 to 7 years.

Fire Extinguishers:

It is important to have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen , but there should be at least one fire extinguisher on every level of the home. Make sure everyone knows the P.A.S.S. Technique:
– Pull the pin
– Aim at the base of the fire
– Squeeze the lever
– Sweep from side to side

Escape Ladders:

Each room in your home should have two escape routes, in most bedrooms the window is an escape route, so if your home has a second story  a ladder could be kept somewhere that is easily accessible.

According to the NFPA*, in 2016 there were 352,000 home fires, and 3 out of 5 fire deaths occurred in homes without smoke alarms. Less than 50% of homeowners have an escape plan, so make sure your family has a plan!