Children and House Fires

11/17/2021 (Permalink)

Below are preparedness tips to help keep your kids safe and prevent fires.

• Keep matches, lighters and other ignitable substances in a secured location out of the reach of children, and only use lighters with child-resistant features.

• Practice your home fire escape plan with your children several times a year.

• Also practice stop, drop and roll and low crawling. 9 Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm and what to do when they hear it.

• Teach your children not to be scared of firefighters.

• Take them to your local fire department to meet them and learn about fire safety. 

• Teach your children to tell you or a responsible adult when they find matches or lighters at home or school.

• Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year. Having a working smoke alarm reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly half.
• Visit www.redcross.org/homefires for more information on children and fire safety