Home Fire Safety                                                    

Every Family Needs to Know

Every 15 seconds a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the United States. Most fires don't happen in homes, but most fire deaths and injuries do. The major causes of fatal home fires are misplaced smoking materials, heating equipment, arson, and children playing with matches or lighters.

No one wants to think about having a fire at home. But thinking about it and being ready for it can and does save lives.

Being Ready is the Key

There are three things you can do to protect your family. They may be simple, but they are very important. Do them now, waiting until tomorrow may be too late!

     1.  Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including bedrooms.
     2.  Test them each month to see that they are working.
     3.  Plan and practice home fire drills.

It doesn't matter if your home is big or small, new or old; all homes need smoke alarms that work. Put them near every bedroom. If your home has more than one level, put them on every level. They will wake you up and give you time to get out safely if there is a fire. You can't hear smoke! You can't smell it when you sleep! Smoke alarms make a very loud sound when smoke gets near them and will wake you and give you time to get out if there is a fire.

Plan and Practice Your Escape

When a fire starts, it can grow and spread very fast. The people inside have only a few short minutes to get out safely. There is no time to stop for anything. The most important thing is that you get out safely!

Make a fire escape plan for your home and practice it!

Home Fire Sprinklers Save Lives

If you are moving into an apartment, choose a building with fire sprinklers installed. If you are building or remodeling your home have sprinklers installed if you can. There are decorative or hidden sprinkler heads for residential use. You say it costs too much. The cost is far less than the alternative, a fire left to spread on its own. A common misconception is that when the sprinklers go off that all sprinklers are activated. This is not true, only the sprinkler heads directly over the fire area are activated. Sprinklers put water on the fire when it starts, keeping it small until firefighters arrive. This gives you more time to escape as well as saving your property.