Fire Escape Planning

More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires and more than 20,000 are injured. Many of them might be alive today if they had only had the information they needed to avoid a disaster. The U.S. Fire Administration offers the following life-saving tips could make a big difference for you and your community.

Did you know?

Eighty-two percent of all fire deaths occur in the home.
Senior citizens, age 65 and older, and children under the age of five are at the greatest risk of death from fire.
Deaths due to an inability to escape are particularly preventable.
Having a working smoke alarm reduces one's chance of dying in a fire by nearly a half.

Following these simple fire safety tips can increase your survival rate dramatically.

Fire Escape Planning Life-Saving Tips

Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Test smoke alarm batteries every month and change them at least once a year. Consider installing a 10-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened.
Know your local emergency numbers. In most areas, the number is 911.
Practice finding your way out of the house with your eyes closed, crawling or staying low and feeling your way out of the house.
Never open doors that are hot to the touch.
Teach your family to stop, drop to the ground and roll if their clothes catch fire.
Designate a meeting place outside and take attendance. Get out and stay out.
Remember to escape first, then notify the fire department.
Make sure everyone in your family knows at least two ways to escape from each room in the house.