Fire Prevention Week 2007

• Always have at least two ways out of each room, such as doors and windows.
• Make sure that all exits are clear and working. If doors or windows are blocked by items such as boxes or furniture, someone, especially young children, may not be able to move them quickly enough to escape. Test your windows to make certain that they are not stuck shut and screens are removable from the inside. If your windows have bars on the outside, find out if they can be opened during an emergency and if not, have them retrofitted to be opened from inside.
• Teach children how to unlock and open the window in case they ever need to get out. If a screen is on the outside, demonstrate how they can remove it.
• Choose a meeting place where members of your family can assemble once you get out. This location should be safely accessible for all members. For example, if small children are in the family, choose a location where they would not have to cross the street, such as the mailbox, a tree in the yard, or the neighbor’s fence.
• Practice your plan at least twice a year. Make sure that you have also practiced at night because some family members may not wake up to the smoke alarm and the exits are more difficult to find by feeling your way through the dark.
• Call your local fire department and notify them about any special circumstances within your home, such as two babies in one room, someone with a physical disability, or any person with special needs. This ensures the information is available to them before an emergency happens. Also share this information with your neighbors so they may inform the police and fire department in the event of an emergency.
• Once everyone gets out, make sure that they stay out!

• Keep objects at least 3 feet away from a space heater to prevent them from catching fire. Pay special attention to rugs, curtains, and combustible materials.
• Place portable heaters in a low traffic area where people will not be in danger of tripping over them.
• If the heater does not have a thermostat or built-in protection from overturning, replace it with a new heater.
• Unplug the space heater when leaving your home.

• Have a professional examine your chimney annually for problems.
• Avoid the use of gasoline, kerosene, or lighter fluids to light your fireplace. Instead, use small bits of paper or kindling.
• Keep the hearth clear of combustible materials such as wood, books, and loose paper.
• Roll up loose sleeves on shirts, and if you have long hair, make sure it is pulled back to prevent it from catching fire.
• Do not leave the fire unattended for any length of time.
• Always use a screen around the fireplace to keep kids and pets safe.
• Make certain that the fire has completely died out before leaving or going to bed.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector.

• If the blanket gets wet, do not turn it on to dry it.
• When not in use, roll the blanket instead of folding it to ensure that the wires will not be damaged.
• Discontinue use if any of the following apply: wires are poking out of the material, the fabric is unraveling, or if burnt patches of fabric are visible.
• If the blanket is over ten years old, replace it.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, making sure there is an alarm outside every separate sleeping area. New homes are required to have a smoke alarm in every sleeping room and all smoke alarms must be interconnected.
• Hard-wired smoke alarms operate on your household electrical current. They can be interconnected so that every alarm sounds regardless of the fire's location. This is an advantage in early warning, because it gives occupants extra time to escape if they are in one part of the home and a fire breaks out in another part. Alarms that are hard-wired should have battery backups in case of a power outage, and should be installed by a qualified electrician.
• If you sleep with bedroom doors closed, have a qualified electrician install interconnected smoke alarms in each room so that when one alarm sounds, they all sound.
• If you or someone in your home is hearing impaired, consider installing an alarm that combines flashing lights, vibration, and/or sound.
• Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises). Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.
• If you have ceilings that are pitched, install the alarm near the ceiling's highest point.
• Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
• Never paint smoke alarms. Paint, stickers, or other decorations could keep the alarms from working. 

• Test your smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer's instructions.
• Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps" warning that the battery is low. Hint: schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clocks from daylight savings time to standard time in the fall.
• Never "borrow" a battery from a smoke alarm. Smoke alarms can't warn you of fire if their batteries are missing or have been disconnected.
• Don't disable smoke alarms even temporarily. If your smoke alarm is sounding "nuisance alarms," try relocating it farther from kitchens or bathrooms, where cooking fumes and steam can cause the alarm to sound.
• Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms can keep them working properly. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace yours once every 10 years. If you can't remember how old the alarm is, then it's probably time for a new one.
• Consider installing smoke alarms with "long-life" (10-year) batteries.
• Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Hold a drill at night to make sure that sleeping family members awaken at the sound of the alarm.
• If you are building a new home or remodeling your existing home, consider installing an automatic home fire sprinkler system. Sprinklers and smoke alarms together cut your risk of dying in a home fire by 82 percent – a savings of thousands of lives a year.

* Reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention Week Web site, www.firepreventionweek.org. ©2006 NFPA

• Download the Fire Corps Department Starter Kit from the Fire Corps web site. This guide has a variety of information to help you establish, expand, manage, and market your Fire Corps program.
• If you already have a team of community volunteers, register your program with Fire Corps to gain access to increased resources and funding opportunities.
• Market your Fire Corps program within your department and in your community by using the Fire Corps promotional videos and public service announcements available for free in the Resource Center at www.firecorps.org/resources. Other resources include Fire Corps brochures and sample recruitment ads.
• Implement the 1-800-FIRE-LINE national recruitment campaign in your state. 1-800-FIRE-LINE helps connect community members who are interested in volunteering with their local fire/EMS department. Community members can find out about both emergency and non-emergency volunteer opportunities near them. To find out if your state is a member of the 1-800-FIRE-LINE campaign or to establish the campaign in your state, call 1-800-FIRE-LINE or visit www.firecorps.org/1800FireLine.
• If you are a community member who is interested in helping your local department in a non-emergency capacity, locate the nearest Fire Corps program by going to the Fire Corps web site and clicking on “Find A Program,” or call 1-800-FIRE-LINE to learn about Fire Corps opportunities near you.

• Place candles in sturdy, nonflammable holders (metal, glass, ceramic) that are large enough to collect dripping wax.
• Always keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
• Always attend burning candles. Extinguish all candles before leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Do not carry a lit candle during a power outage; use a flashlight instead.
• Keep candle wicks trimmed to ¼ inch and extinguish when the flame gets too high. Once the candle cools down, re-trim the wick to ¼ inch. This keeps the candle burning slower and with less smoke.
• Do not use lighted candles on or near a Christmas tree.
• Consider using flameless candles. This alternative to traditional candles allows you to enjoy the glow of a real candle without the hazards of smoke, melting wax, or fire. Battery-powered flameless candles can be practically indistinguishable from real candles to the casual observer, with options including real wax, flickering glow, and a variety of pleasing scents.

Resources

• Pandemic Influenza Resource Center
• Fire Corps National Preparedness Month Resource Center
• Fire Prevention Week
  • Fire Prevention Week 2007
  • Fire Prevention Week 2008
• Disaster Preparedness and Financial Literacy
• Home Safety Month Resources and Tips