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