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