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Be
Prepared
Disaster Services
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Fire
Make Your Home Fire Safe
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A man inspect fire damage to a house.
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- Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke
alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your
home.
- If people sleep with doors closed, install
smoke alarms inside sleeping areas, too.
- Use the test button to check each smoke
alarm once a month. When necessary, replace batteries immediately.
Replace all batteries at least once a year.
- Vacuum away cobwebs and dust from your smoke
alarms monthly.
- Smoke alarms become less sensitive over
time. Replace your smoke alarms every ten years.
- Consider having one or more working fire
extinguishers in your home. Get training from the fire department in
how to use them.
- Consider installing an automatic fire
sprinkler system in your home.
Plan Your Escape Routes
- Determine at least two ways to escape from
every room of your home.
- Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas
on the second or third floor. Learn how to use them and store them
near the window.
- Select a location outside your home where
everyone would meet after escaping.
- Practice your escape plan at least twice a
year.
Escape Safely
- Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire
department from a neighbor's home.
- If you see smoke or fire in your first
escape route, use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke,
crawl low under the smoke to your exit.
- If you are escaping through a closed door,
feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second way
out.
- If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit
routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Signal for help using a
bright-colored cloth at the window. If there is a telephone in the
room, call the fire department and tell them where you are.
Your Local Red Cross Chapter Can
Provide Additional Materials in English and Spanish:
- "Fire Safety Pictorial Brochure"
(ARC 5036) designed for people of low literacy. Contains few words,
and those are in both English and Spanish.
- "Safe Living in Your Manufactured
Home" (ARC 4465) gives fire, flood, and tornado safety
information for people who live in manufactured (mobile) homes.
- "Wildfire....Are You Prepared?"
(ARC 5020)
- "Your Family Disaster Plan" (ARC
4466)
- "Your Family Disaster Supplies
Kit" (ARC 4463)
Materials for Children:
- "Be Ready 1-2-3" features a
children's workbook (ARC 5017), Instructor's Manual (ARC 5018),
"How-To" Guide (ARC 5019), and "completion
certificate" (C-814) that involve puppets who give important
safety information to children ages 3-8 about residential fire safety,
winter storms and earthquakes.
- "Fire Safety Activity Poster" (ARC
5034) is an 18" x 24" poster designed for children ages 4-8
on one side, and 8-12 on the other. Contains a maze, puzzle, word find
and coloring pages. In English and Spanish.
- Fire Prevention Week Campaign Kit (ARC 5016)
Contains ideas, stories, sample news releases, camera-ready artwork
and information for use during Fire Prevention Week. Most of the
information in the kit is undated, throughout the year.
- "Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book
(ARC 2200, English, or ARC 2200S, Spanish) for children ages 3-10.
- "Adventures of the Disaster Dudes"
(ARC 5024) video and Presenter's Guide for use by an adult with
children in grades 4-6.
Return to Red Cross Safety Information
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