Red Cross Fire Safety Tips

12/5/2017 (Permalink)

• Install the right number of smoke alarms. Test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year.

• Teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.

• Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home and know the family meeting spot outside of your home.

• Establish a family emergency communications plan and ensure that all household members know who to contact if they cannot find one another.

• Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year. Press the smoke alarm test button or yell “Fire“ to alert everyone that they must get out.

• Make sure everyone knows how to call 9-1-1.

  Teach household members to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.

• Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.
• Smoking materials are the leading cause of residential fire deaths in the United States. If you smoke, take precautions: Smoke outside; choose fire-safe cigarettes; never smoke in bed, when drowsy or medicated, or if anyone in the home is using oxygen.
• Use deep, sturdy ashtrays and douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.
• Talk to children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
• Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended, even for a minute.