| Fire safety in your home and with your family is | | | | two escape routes out of each room of the |
| paramount in keepingkids safe. Know the baiscs | | | | house. It is important to have an alternate escape |
| of good fire prevention and tecah you children | | | | route in case one is blocked by fire. Fire drills |
| good fire safety technqiues. | | | | should be practiced spontaneously throughout the |
| A small fire can grow into a deadly one within | | | | year, as home fires and home fire-related deaths |
| minutes. To help prevent a tragedy, closely | | | | are more likely to occur during cold-weather |
| inspect your home to eliminate potential hazards. | | | | months, December through February. |
| Prepare your home for an emergency, and teach | | | | Keep furniture and other heavy objects out of |
| your family about the dangers of fire and how to | | | | the way of doors and windows, so they won't |
| escape. If a child is coached properly ahead of | | | | block an escape. |
| time, he or she will have a better chance of | | | | Designate an outside meeting place, so all |
| surviving. | | | | members of the family can be accounted for |
| 1. First, eliminate potential hazards with these | | | | quickly. |
| eassy tips: | | | | 3. Teach your children safety methods: |
| Keep matches, lighters and other heat sources | | | | Children should know the sound of the smoke |
| out of children's reach. Playing with matches and | | | | alarm. When they hear it, teach them to: |
| lighters is the leading cause of fire deaths for | | | | Crawl low under smoke. An estimated |
| children ages 5 and under. | | | | three-fourths of childhood fire deaths are caused |
| Keep flammable items such as clothing, furniture, | | | | by the smoke and toxic gases produced as a fire |
| newspapers or magazines away from the | | | | develops and spreads. |
| fireplace, heater or radiator. | | | | Touch doors before opening them. If the door is |
| Keep all portable heaters out of children's reach. | | | | hot, use an alternative exit. |
| Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the | | | | Never go back into a burning building. Children |
| same electrical socket. | | | | should be reminded not to stop or return for |
| Replace old or frayed electrical wires and appliance | | | | anything, such as a toy or to call 9-1-1. A call to |
| cords, and keep them on top of, not beneath | | | | 9-1-1 should be placed after leaving the premises. |
| rugs. | | | | "Stop, drop and roll." Upon leaving the burning |
| Store all flammable liquids such as gasoline outside | | | | house or building, children whose clothes have |
| of the home. | | | | caught on fire should immediately stop, drop to |
| 2. Prepare your home with safety and | | | | the ground and roll themselves back and forth |
| announcement devices with these easy tips: | | | | quickly to extinguish the flames. |
| Install smoke alarms on every level of your home | | | | Take children to your local fire station for a tour. |
| and in every sleeping area. Consider installing both | | | | Children will be able to see a firefighter in full gear |
| ionization alarms, which are better at sensing | | | | and learn that he or she is someone who saves |
| flaming fires, and photoelectric alarms, which are | | | | children, not someone to be afraid of or hide |
| better at sensing slow, smoky fires. | | | | from. Also, be sure you're not teaching your |
| Test smoke alarms monthly. Maintain alarms by | | | | children bad habits. Don't let them see you smoke |
| replacing batteries at least once a year, and | | | | in bed or disconnect smoke alarm batteries! |
| replace alarms every 10 years. Plan and practice | | | | |