October is National Fire Prevention Month and as the weather cools down, fire danger in homes goes up. Raceway Electric encourages you to take this month to practice your family’s fire safety plan, and check batteries in your smoke detectors.
Create and Practice a Fire Safety Plan during National Fire Prevention Month
When a house fire occurs, it’s hard not to panic. However, the more you practice your plan—especially with children—the more likely everyone is to stay safe in an actual emergency. Below are the steps you should take to create and practice your fire safety plan, according to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA).
Creating Your Fire Safety Plan
- Determine which areas in your house are escape routes. Be sure to walk every floor of your home. If your home is on multiple floors, be sure you have ladders you can use to safely escape from a window.
- Make sure your windows can be easily opened and if not, do what you need to get them in working order.
- If you have small children or older adults who need assistance, make sure you plan to have someone who will assist them in case of an emergency.
- Choose a spot outside to meet your family. This could be at your mailbox, or in a neighbor’s yard. Make sure everyone knows where to meet.
- Make sure your house number can be seen from the street. This will help firefighters easily identify your home.
- If you have kids, you can draw out the plan for them in addition to practicing it.
Practicing Your Fire Escape Plan
- Practice your plan at least twice a year! Usually, Spring and Fall are the best times, around the time changes.
- Practice your plan together as a family, and then organize a “surprise practice”. This will help your family, especially children, be better prepared in an actual emergency. Don’t scare your children, however. You can let them know there will be a practice in the middle of the night when they go to bed so they aren’t terrified when you get them up to practice or they hear the fire alarm.
- Practice escaping from all the floors. Make sure everyone knows where an escape ladder is and how it should be used. You can practice with small children from a first-floor window.
- Practice getting low to the ground to avoid smoke and fumes.
- Make sure everyone can hear, and not sleep through, a fire alarm. Practice assisting them if they need it.
Lastly, any time you have electrical work performed in your home, make sure you are hiring a licensed, and insured electrician, like the pros at Raceway Electric. Safety is our top concern and we believe in doing work the right way the first time to keep you and your family safe. Contact Raceway Electric for your electrical needs. For more fire prevention information, go to the NFPA website.
