Have a plan and check smoke alarms
According to the Southwest Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross (SWLARC), the most effective way to protect yourself and your home from fire is to identify and remove fire hazards.
According to SWLARC, 65 percent of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms.
The fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51 percent less than the rate for homes without this protection, according to SWLARC. And from 2000-2004, no smoke alarms were present or none operated in almost half of the reported home fires.
Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). An estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms.
Sadly, only 26 percent of families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan, according to SWLARC.
SWLARC recommends that everyone should have a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan.
Be sure to place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including bedrooms. Also, remember to test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year.
Having a plan in place can help you escape. There should be at least two ways to escape from every room of your home and a meeting spot at a safe distance from your home. Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice it at least twice a year.
Remember, if a fire occurs in your home, SWLARC says to “Get out, Stay out and call for help.”
For more information on how you can protect your family and property from the dangers fire, visit www.redcross.org/swla.
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