Fire Prevention Month - October 2017

The biggest disaster threat in the United States isn’t floods, hurricanes or tornadoes - it’s fires. The American Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters year - one every eight minutes - and most of them are home fires. Home fires can happen quickly - devastating lives and property. But unlike other disasters, most home fires can be prevented. Fire experts agree that people may have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late to get out.

During Fire Prevention Month, the American Red Cross urges you to take two easy steps to help protect your home and to increase your chances of surviving a fire: create and practice a fire escape plan, and install and maintain smoke alarms.

• Home fire plans should include at least two ways to escape from every room of your home. 
• Select a meeting spot at a safe distance from your home where family members can meet after a fire. 
• Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice it at least twice a year. Make sure that you practice that plan until every member of your household can escape in less than two minutes. 

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms. 
• Test smoke alarms once a month. Change the batteries at least once a year - if your model requires it. 
• Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and practice escaping your home in two minutes or less. 
• Never disable a smoke alarm. 

Download the following Red Cross apps from your app store:

• Our Emergency App has safety tips and a home fire quiz. 
• The Monster Guard App is a fun, interactive game that teaches children about home safety and fire prevention. 

The Red Cross continues to help save lives with our nationwide Home Fire Campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. We’re working with community partners and local fire departments across the country to install smoke alarms and conduct fire safety education for families in need. Visit redcross.org to find out more about how to protect yourself, your loved ones and your home from fire.