Home Fire Safety
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Is your home Fire Safe?
Per the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 358,500 home structure fires per year during 2011-2015, which represents three-quarters of all structure fires. $6.7 billion in direct damage, or 68% of total direct damage in structure fires. Your household has a one in four chance of having a home fire large enough to be reported to a fire department during an average lifetime. Someone in your household also has a one in ten chance of suffering a fire injury in a home fire an average lifetime.
To see if your home is fire safe, download the Home Fire Safety Checklist and check your home.
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The 7 Ways to Prepare for a Home Fire
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Install the right number of smoke alarms. Test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year.
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Teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
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Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home and know the family meeting spot outside of your home.
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Establish a family emergency communications plan and ensure that all household members know who to contact if they cannot find one another.
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Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year. Press the smoke alarm test button or yell “Fire“ to alert everyone that they must get out.
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Make sure everyone knows how to call 9-1-1.
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Teach household members to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.
