Check your Smoke Alarm Batteries and Make a Fire Plan

Did you know that when you change your clocks you should check the batteries in all you smoke detectors?

Fire Education

Unfortunately, many children will try to hide from a fire, often in a closet, under a bed, or in a corner. If children are taught the basic rules to fire safety they are more likely to react accordingly. Teach your children that fire spreads quickly and that smoke inhalation is as dangerous as burns from the fire.

Kids should learn to:

• cover their mouths and noses with a moist cloth  to keep out dangerous smoke fumes while exiting
• stay as low to the ground as possible and crawl to safety when necessary
• touch any door to see if it is hot, and if it is, not to open it — find another exit
• always avoid elevators during a fire
• never stop to take personal belongings or pets or to make a phone call (even to 911) while exiting.
• never go back into a burning building once safely outside
• stop, drop, and roll to extinguish flames if an article of clothing catches on fire

How to make a Family Fire Evacuation Plan

1. Draw a map of your home. Show all doors and windows.
2. Visit each room. Find two ways out and place them on your map.
3. All windows and doors should open easily. You should be able to use them to get outside.
4. Make sure your home has smoke alarms. Push the test button to make sure each alarm is working.
5. Pick a meeting place outside. It should be in front of your home.
6. Everyone will meet at the meeting place.
7. Make sure your house or building number can be seen from the street.
8. Talk about your plan with everyone in your home.
9. Learn the emergency phone number for your fire department. 
10. Practice your home fire escape drill!

Here is an example of a simple evacuation plan