North Central Pennsylvania Red Cross
Home Fires
Make Your Home Fire Safe
- Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home.
- If people sleep with doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas, too.
- Use the test button to check each smoke alarm once a month. When necessary, replace batteries immediately. Replace all batteries at least once a year.
- Vacuum away cobwebs and dust from your smoke alarms monthly.
- Smoke alarms become less sensitive over time. Replace your smoke alarms every ten years.
- Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers in your home. Get training from the fire department in how to use them.
- Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your home.
Plan Your Escape Routes
- Determine at least two ways to escape from every room of your home.
- Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floor. Learn how to use them and store them near the window.
- Select a location outside your home where everyone would meet after escaping.
- Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
Escape Safely
- Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from a neighbor's home.
- If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to your exit.
- If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second way out.
- If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Signal for help using a bright-colored cloth at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them where you are.
Your Local Red Cross Chapter Can Provide Additional Materials in English and Spanish:
- "Fire Safety Pictorial Brochure" (ARC 5036) designed for people of low literacy. Contains few words, and those are in both English and Spanish.
- "Safe Living in Your Manufactured Home" (ARC 4465) gives fire, flood, and tornado safety information for people who live in manufactured (mobile) homes.
Materials for Children:
- "Be Ready 1-2-3" features a children's workbook (ARC 5017), Instructor's Manual (ARC 5018), "How-To" Guide (ARC 5019), and "completion certificate" (C-814) that involve puppets who give important safety information to children ages 3-8 about residential fire safety, winter storms, and earthquakes.
- "Fire Safety Activity Poster" (ARC 5034) is an 18" x 24" poster designed for children ages 4-8 on one side, and 8-12 on the other. Contains a maze, puzzle, word find, and coloring pages. In English and Spanish.
- Fire Prevention Week Campaign Kit (ARC 5016)
Contains ideas, stories, sample news releases, camera-ready artwork, and information for use during Fire Prevention Week, and, since most of the information in the kit is undated, throughout the year. - "Adventures of the Disaster Dudes" (ARC 5024) video and Presenter's Guide for use by an adult with children in grades 4-6.
And remember . . . when a fire, earthquake, tornado, flood, or other emergency happens in your community, you can count on your local American Red Cross chapter to be there to help you and your family. Your Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on contributions of your time, money, and blood. For more information, please contact your local American Red Cross chapter or emergency management office.