Family Home Fire Safety

Do I need a home fire safety plan for my house? Consider the following information - according to the US Fire Administration, there were more than 395,000 home fires in 2001. Fire starts in many places in the home:

In 2001 in the United States, fire killed about 13.4 people per million of population (the events of 9/11 are not counted in these numbers). 81% of these deaths took place in the home. Fires start in many different places in the home: Young children, those under six years of age, are the most likely to die tragically in fires at home. But parents can make a major difference by teaching their children the basics of home fire safety. A good home fire safety plan can save many of these lives.

A home fire safety plan has 3 major components: (1) a working fire alarm system; (2) a fire exit plan; (3) teaching all occupants how to “stop, drop, and roll”. A complete home fire safety plan can save the lives of you and your family.

The first step, installing a working fire alarm system is the duty of the parent. Make sure the system is installed, and test it regularly. If your system is battery operated, replace your batteries every 6 months. Most fire departments recommend that you change the battery every time you change your clocks to go onto, or off of, daylight savings time. Since it’s a unique event every Fall and Spring, it’s a great reminder that you need to change your batteries.

The next step in a home fire safety plan is to have a fire exit plan. The most important thing to do is to teach your family that fire kills. Staying in the house is not an option. Then teach your family two possible exit plans no matter where they are in the house in the case of a fire. There should be a primary, preferred, exit, and a backup exit plan. And once they get out of the house, they must stay out. Many lives are lost from people who go back into a burning house. Don’t let this happen to you. Please read our article on “How a fire alarm and an exit plan can save your family” for details of a fire exit plan.

Another key aspect of home fire safety is to teach your children that they must crawl under smoke. This can be hard to remember when you see nothing but smoke and are frightened, so it is important that they understand the need to drop down to the floor, where there is a much better chance that the smoke is not currently present. This fire safety tip alone can save lives.

Also critical to home fire safety is teaching everyone to “stop, drop, and roll”. This tip can save a person’s life in the event that their clothes catch on fire. Running in fear is a natural reaction, but this can actually fan the flames. Some people also learn to “stop and drop”, but forget to roll. Rolling is critical because this is the step that puts the fire out. For a more detailed discussion on “stop, drop, and roll”, please see our article “Teaching your children to "stop, drop and roll" is critical for fire safety training”.

A solid plan for home fire safety is essential to protect your family in an emergency. Be sure they know the plan well!