FIRE SAFETY

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives. Learn what else to do to keep your loved ones safe!

HOME FIRE PREPAREDNESS

Home fires are the most common type of emergency in the United States, and can cause deaths, injuries and property loss within minutes of breaking out. Home fires occur every day across the country but we can take action to prepare. Prepare now to protect yourself, your loved ones and your home.

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After A Home Fire

Is Your Home A Fire Hazard?

Fire Safety Equipment

Holiday Fire Safety

What Can I Do To Prevent A Home Fire?

Cooking Safety

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries.

Stay in the kitchen and closely monitor your meal anytime you

are cooking. Keep an eye on what you fry!
Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, utensils, food

packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stove.
Install and learn how to use a fire extinguisher. Contact your

local fire department for training.
If you have a small cooking fire:

- On a stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed. - If in doubt, just get out! If flames spread to objects

beyond the stove or oven, evacuate immediately. When you

leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.

Heating Safety

Use caution around heating equipment such as space heaters and fireplaces. Keep anything that could catch fire at least 3 feet from the heat.

Electrical Safety

Use caution with electrical equipment.

Always plug appliances directly into wall outlets. Extension

cords are for short-term use.
Check power cords. Make sure they are not across doorways

or under carpets where they might get pinched or wear out.
Have all electrical work done by a certified electrician.

Child Safety

Children “playing” with fire is dangerous. Each year these types of fires cause many preventable injuries and deaths.

Store matches and lighters out of children’s reach and sight.
Teach young children to never touch matches or lighters.

Smoking Safety

Smoking is a leading cause of home fire deaths.

If you smoke, do so outside. Make sure to extinguish smoking

materials in a deep and sturdy ashtray.
Never smoke or allow anyone to smoke where medical oxygen

is used.
Never smoke in bed.
Use e-cigarettes with caution. Serious fires and injuries can occur

when e-cigarettes are being used, charged or transported.

Candle Safety

Avoid using candles because of the fire risk. Use battery-powered lights and flashlights instead.
If you must use a candle, use extreme caution and never leave it unattended.

Install and Maintain Smoke Alarms

Working smoke alarms save lives and can cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

Be sure that you install smoke alarms in your home and that you maintain and test them regularly.
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
Make sure everyone in your home knows the sound of a smoke alarm and what to do if it goes off.
Test ALL smoke alarms at least once a month by pressing the test button.

Smoke detector and interlinked fire alarm on ceiling in action background with copy space.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SMOKE ALARMS

Smoke alarms with 10-year batteries are good for up to 10 years.
9-volt smoke alarms should have their batteries replaced at

least once a year.
Hardwired smoke alarms often have a backup battery in case

your power goes out. Be sure to replace the 9-volt battery if

the alarm begins to chirp.
Most smoke alarms, regardless of power source, are effective

for 10 years. Replace all smoke alarms once they reach this age.
If your alarm is chirping, it means the battery is low.
- 10-Year Battery – Replace the entire smoke alarm.
- 9 Volt Battery – Replace the battery and check the date of alarm manufacture. Replace if older than 10 year
- Hardwired – Replace the backup battery and check the date of alarm manufacture. Replace if older than 10 years.
Consider installing interconnected smoke alarms. When one sounds, they all sound.
NEVER disable a smoke alarm by removing batteries or removing from the wall or ceiling, even temporarily. It’s easy to forget about the alarm and leaves your family at risk.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing are at risk because they may not be able to hear a standard smoke alarm. There are devices available to alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing, including bed shaker alarms and strobe light smoke alarms.

HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLAN

Make and practice a home fire escape plan with your household so that everyone knows what to do and can escape in less than two minutes:

Find two paths to the outside from every room. The first path will often be a doorway. The second path may be a window or a second doorway. You need two paths in case your first path is blocked by smoke or flames.
Make sure your escape paths are clear and not blocked by clutter, furniture or equipment.
Choose a safe outside meeting place where everyone will go after they have escaped the fire so that you know everyone is safe.
Account for all those who many need extra assistance in your planning, including infants, small children, older adults and individuals with a disability, access or functional needs. Make sure that someone is assigned to help them, if needed, and that everyone can use the escape routes.

Practice your escape plan twice a year with your entire household. Remind everyone:

If a fire starts in your home, you may have less than two minutes to escape safely.
Get out and stay out! Leave everything behind and get out as quickly as you can. NEVER go back into a burning building.
If smoke or fire blocks one of your ways out, use another way out. If you must go through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to escape.
Everyone in your household should plan to meet at your designated outside meeting place.
Call 911 from a safe place outside your home.
If windows have security bars, make sure they have a quick release. Make sure everyone knows how to use them. Consider escape ladders for second floor sleeping areas.

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What to Do if A Fire Starts

If a Fire Starts:

Know how to safely operate a fire extinguisher
Remember to GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 9-1-1 or your local emergency phone number.
Yell "Fire!" several times and go outside right away. If you live in a building with elevators, use the stairs. Leave all your things where they are and save yourself.
If closed doors or handles are warm or smoke blocks your primary escape route, use your second way out. Never open doors that are warm to the touch.
If you must escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your exit. Close doors behind you.
If smoke, heat or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with doors closed. Place a wet towel under the door and call the fire department or 9-1-1. Open a window and wave a brightly colored cloth or flashlight to signal for help.
Once you are outside, go to your meeting place and then send one person to call the fire department. If you cannot get to your meeting place, follow your family emergency communication plan.

If your Clothes Catch on Fire:

Stop what you’re doing.
Drop to the ground and cover your face if you can.
Roll over and over or back and forth until the flames go out. Running will only make the fire burn faster.

Once the flames are out, cool the burned skin with water for three to five minutes. Call for medical attention.

Pet Fire Safety

Home fires are the most common disaster that the American Red Cross responds to – and also the most preventable.

The best way to protect your pets from the effects of a fire is to include them in your family plan. This includes having their own disaster supplies kit as well as arranging in advance for a safe place for them to stay if you need to leave your home.

When you practice your escape plan, practice taking your pets with you. Train them to come to you when you call.

In the event of a disaster, if you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them, too. But remember: never delay escape or endanger yourself or family to rescue a family pet.

Prevent Your Pets from Starting Fires

The National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly 1,000 home fires each year are accidentally started by the homeowners' pets. The American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services have joined forces to provide the following tips:

Extinguish Open Flames - Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.

Remove Stove Knobs - Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house - a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.

Invest in Flameless Candles - These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.

Secure Young Pets - keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.

Help Firefighters Help Your Pets

Keep pets near entrances when away from home. Keep collars on pets and leashes at the ready in case firefighters need to rescue your pet. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.

Affix a pet alert window cling and write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to keep the number of pets listed on them updated.