October is Fire Prevention Month and a good time to ask the question, “Do you have an escape plan?” That is, a plan to get out of your home safely if a fire breaks out?
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), only about one in four of us has taken the time to draw a home escape plan and practice it. That means a lot of us are in danger of doing the wrong thing, with possible tragic results.
In addition to not being prepared, many of us are also misinformed! For example, in a recent survey the NFPA learned that one-third of us think we’d have at least six minutes before a home fire became life-threatening, but the available time is often much less. And only eight percent said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to – get out!
Are your smoke alarms working? Now is a great time to change your batteries.
Speaking of smoke alarms, the survey also found that in one out of every five homes equipped with at least one smoke alarm, not a single one was working. Do you recall when you last tested or changed your smoke alarm batteries?
And while many of us think of our kitchens as the “heart” of our homes, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries, and unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires.
The NFPA and I want this month – and every month – to be a safe one for you and those you love, so please visit http://www.nfpa.org/ for a wealth of safety information, fire prevention tips, and resources.
Let's not forget our brave firefighters!!
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