Disaster Recovery News

Unfortunately, children are often the victims of home fires. This tragedy is one that can be prevented by providing fire safety lessons at home. Create a fire safety plan with your children and teach them about fire safety to increase their chances of escaping a house fire with their lives.

Teaching Children about Fire Safety

• Designate an official meeting place outside of the home in the event of the fire. A meeting place could be at your mailbox or a neighbor’s driveway. Make sure you children know at least two ways out of the home.
• Conduct regular fire drills at home. Consider turning fire drills into a game to help take away any feelings of anxiety, particularly in younger children. Additionally, practice fire drills at night, the time most fires occur.
• Clearly post emergency numbers near every telephone in the home.
• Test your smoke alarms on a monthly basis with your children.
• Keep your lessons about fire safety simple, especially with younger children.
• Take advantage of teachable moments. Reinforce lessons you have taught your children about fires whenever the opportunities present themselves, like in a book or a news story. Encourage your children to share what they would do in a similar situation.
• Be a good example for your children regarding fire safety.

This week is National Fire Prevention Week. If you have not created a fire safety plan with your family, this week is the perfect time.

Learn more about emergency planning for the whole family.

[photo: Alex Miroshnichenko]

The colder weather means it is time to put wood on the fireplace and turn on the heaters. Because the fall and winter months bring cause for celebrations, the risk of house fires is greater because of all the heating equipment used. In honor of the upcoming Fire Prevention Week, consider the following fire safety tips for when the weather turns cold.

Fall and Winter Fire Safety Tips

• If you have a fireplace, make sure you know how the flue works and have a certified chimney sweep clean your chimney.
• Cover the front of the fireplace with a screen to help control sparks.
• Dispose of ashes from the fireplace in a metal container kept outside of the home.
• Keep space heaters at least 3-feet away from walls, furniture and any other items in a room.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside of every bedroom. Make sure the smoke alarms you already have in your home work.
• Keep a fire extinguisher on every level of your home, in an easy-to-find location. Additionally, keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and one near the fireplace.
• Use holiday decorations that are flame resistance.
• Only use indoor decorative lights inside your home; use outdoor decorative lights outside. Use clips instead of nails to hang strands of lights.
• Keep candles away from holiday decorations. Never leave candles unattended, particularly around children and pets.
• While cooking, do not leave food on the stovetop unattended.

Learn more about protecting your home from a fire.

[photo:  Paul Sapiano]

October 4-10, 2009 is National Fire Prevention Week. The National Fire Protection Association is using the week to focus on fire prevention and burn awareness.

Here are the top five most interesting facts listed by the NPA for National Fire Prevention Week:

1.       “Someone was injured in a home fire every 40 minutes and roughly eight people died in home fires every day during 2008.”

2.       “Cooking continues to be the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries… Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires. ”

3.       “Smoking materials caused one of every four home fire deaths…Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths (roughly one in four) in the United States.”

4.      “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.”

5.      “No smoke alarms were present in 40% of the home fire deaths.”

More on fire prevention.

2009 Fire Prevention Week – Electrical Safety

2009 Fire Prevention Week – Kitchen Safety

2009 Fire Prevention Week – Smoke Alarms

More fire safety videos.