On average, nearly 500 children die in home fires every year. If your family lives in a home with working smoke alarms the likelihood of dying in a fire is half that compared to a home without working alarms. Use the tips below to learn how to keep your family safe from fire.
- Working smoke alarms are an essential piece of safety equipment which should be in every home. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home, including the basement.
- Smoke alarms can be battery-operated or electrically hardwired and are available at a variety of price points. Test the smoke alarm on the first of every month using the test button. Replace batteries once a year, even if alarms are hardwired. Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.
- Be sure to place specially designed stickers from the fire department on the window of each child’s bedroom which will alert fire fighters that a child could be present in that room.
- Keep fire extinguishers in various places around your home including the kitchen, garage, near the furnace and near any fireplace. Take a few moments to read the instructions on the fire extinguisher and become familiar with how to use it in a fire.
- If you are using a portable space heater, be sure it has built-in safety features, such as automatic shutoffs, anti-tipping devices and heat guards.
- Make sure young children cannot access the fireplace or turn on a gas igniting switch.
- Teach your children never to try and put out a fire themselves but to leave the house immediately and call 911 from a neighbor’s home.
