Fire Awareness

Fires don't just happen. There are several measures you can take to help ensure that a fire doesn't start. Here are a few important things you can do:

• Install a smoke detector on every level of your home and in the garage. Check it monthly and replace the batteries when necessary.
• Have an electrician look at the wiring in your house. Make sure circuits are not overloaded.
• Have all alternative heating units, such as wood stoves and space heaters, checked by an expert.
• Be sure to maintain at least 3' of clearance from any alternative heating units and all flammable materials such as cardboard boxes, curtains, or furniture.
• Keep matches and lighters out of reach and away from children.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Be aware of the dangers from smoking in overstuffed furniture.

No house can be 100 percent fire proof. Fire officials emphasize there are some basic things you should do to prepare for a fire.

• Determine at least two ways to escape from every room in your home.
• Never lock any door from the inside such that finding a key is required to open it in an emergency.
• Purchase an approved chain ladder to use to climb out of rooms above the first floor, and practice using it.
• Select a location where everyone could meet after escaping the house.
• Discuss what you would do about family pets in the event of a fire. Never go back into a fire to rescue a pet.
• Know how to call for emergency assistance. First get everyone out, then call from a neighbor's or your cell phone! Call 911 and stay on the line to give complete directions. While you are talking to one dispatcher, another will be dispatching us. We need as much information as we can get from you, so do not hang up until you are told to do so.

When Fire Strikes

• Crawl low under smoke to escape. This should be practiced beforehand to prepare you for an actual fire.
• Close the door when you exit a room, and feel closed doors before you enter a room. A hot door or doorknob usually means the room is on fire.
• If your clothes are on fire, drop to the floor and roll to smother and put out the flames.
• Get everyone out quickly, and then call for emergency assistance.
• Know how to give accurate directions to your house when you call for assistance.

Home Fire Safety

Fire is an important part of our lives. We use it to cook food and we use it as a source of warmth on a cold night. But, if uncontrolled, fire can bring injury - and even death - to those we love.

Smart fire safety that kids need to remember:

• Never play with matches or with a cigarette lighter; and keep them away from your sister, brother and friends.
• Make sure your house has a smoke detector; ask the grown-ups in your house to check it often to make sure it's working.
• Ask your family if they will help you come up with an escape plan to get everyone out of the house in case of a fire or other emergency.
• If you see a fire breaking out, quickly tell an adult and leave right away.
• If the smoke is bad, cover your mouth with a cloth; crawl low on the floor until you get to the door or window that you can open.
• While trying to exit the house during a fire, always touch doors with the back of your hand to see if they are hot before you open them. If the door is hot, don't open it; go out the other way in your escape plan. If the door is cool, open it slowly and check to see whether it's safe and clear to keep going that way.
• If your clothes are on fire, remember; do not run, stop, drop to the ground and roll until the flames go out.
• Do not go back inside; wait outside at the spot where your family members will meet you.
• Know how to call for emergency assistance.