It’s Fire Prevention Week, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has some tips to protect you and your family from the dangers of a house fire.
They say since half of all house fire deaths happen between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., it’s important to have smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside each bedroom and sleeping area. They also say you should test your alarms every month to make sure they work, as well as to check that you can actually hear them from your sleeping area. If not, they recommend getting an alarm with a strobe light or a bed shaker.
You should also make an escape plan with at least two ways out of every room, and identify a meeting place outside your home. Keep everything you might need close to your bed, so you can get it quickly. That includes things like glasses, hearing aids, canes, or wheelchairs.
If a fire does start, FEMA says don’t stop to call 911 until you’re safe and away from danger. Don’t go back in your house until the fire department says it’s safe to do so.
