Practice Fire Safety in Your Home
Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone even for short periods of time.
Keep matches and lighters in a secured drawer or cabinet.
Have your children tell you when they find matches and lighters.
Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.
Develop a home fire escape plan, practice it with your children and designate a meeting place outside.
Take the mystery out of fire play by teaching children that fire is a tool, not a toy.
Teach children the nature of fire. It is FAST, HOT, DARK and DEADLY!
Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.
Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out in the case of fire.
Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground and roll if their clothes catch fire.
Install smoke alarms on every level in your home.
Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm.
Test the smoke alarm each month and replace the battery at least once a year.
Replace the smoke alarm every ten years, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.
