| Fire safety in your home and with your family is | | | | alarms every 10 years. Plan and practice two escape |
| paramount in keepingkids safe. Know the baiscs of | | | | routes out of each room of the house. It is important to |
| good fire prevention and tecah you children good fire | | | | have an alternate escape route in case one is blocked |
| safety technqiues. | | | | by fire. Fire drills should be practiced spontaneously |
| A small fire can grow into a deadly one within minutes. | | | | throughout the year, as home fires and home |
| To help prevent a tragedy, closely inspect your home | | | | fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during |
| to eliminate potential hazards. Prepare your home for | | | | cold-weather months, December through February. |
| an emergency, and teach your family about the | | | | Keep furniture and other heavy objects out of the |
| dangers of fire and how to escape. If a child is | | | | way of doors and windows, so they won't block an |
| coached properly ahead of time, he or she will have a | | | | escape. |
| better chance of surviving. | | | | Designate an outside meeting place, so all members of |
| 1. First, eliminate potential hazards with these eassy | | | | the family can be accounted for quickly. |
| tips: | | | | 3. Teach your children safety methods: |
| Keep matches, lighters and other heat sources out of | | | | Children should know the sound of the smoke alarm. |
| children's reach. Playing with matches and lighters is the | | | | When they hear it, teach them to: |
| leading cause of fire deaths for children ages 5 and | | | | Crawl low under smoke. An estimated three-fourths of |
| under. | | | | childhood fire deaths are caused by the smoke and |
| Keep flammable items such as clothing, furniture, | | | | toxic gases produced as a fire develops and spreads. |
| newspapers or magazines away from the fireplace, | | | | Touch doors before opening them. If the door is hot, |
| heater or radiator. | | | | use an alternative exit. |
| Keep all portable heaters out of children's reach. | | | | Never go back into a burning building. Children should |
| Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same | | | | be reminded not to stop or return for anything, such as |
| electrical socket. | | | | a toy or to call 9-1-1. A call to 9-1-1 should be placed |
| Replace old or frayed electrical wires and appliance | | | | after leaving the premises. |
| cords, and keep them on top of, not beneath rugs. | | | | "Stop, drop and roll." Upon leaving the burning house or |
| Store all flammable liquids such as gasoline outside of | | | | building, children whose clothes have caught on fire |
| the home. | | | | should immediately stop, drop to the ground and roll |
| 2. Prepare your home with safety and announcement | | | | themselves back and forth quickly to extinguish the |
| devices with these easy tips: | | | | flames. |
| Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and | | | | Take children to your local fire station for a tour. |
| in every sleeping area. Consider installing both ionization | | | | Children will be able to see a firefighter in full gear and |
| alarms, which are better at sensing flaming fires, and | | | | learn that he or she is someone who saves children, |
| photoelectric alarms, which are better at sensing slow, | | | | not someone to be afraid of or hide from. Also, be |
| smoky fires. | | | | sure you're not teaching your children bad habits. Don't |
| Test smoke alarms monthly. Maintain alarms by | | | | let them see you smoke in bed or disconnect smoke |
| replacing batteries at least once a year, and replace | | | | alarm batteries! |