It’s Fire Prevention Week; Red Cross officials urge testing smoke alarms, practicing escape plan

Fire Prevention Week is getting underway, and the Red Cross uses this period of awareness to urge Pennsylvanians to take steps to protect their homes.

According to a data set compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration, Pennsylvania has had the most house fire deaths of all states over the last seven years.

To prevent fire deaths, the Red Cross urges having smoke alarms throughout a home, and regularly testing them, along with creating an escape plan and practicing it.

“Fire now travels faster through homes, largely due to popular open-concept layouts and synthetic materials,” said Jorge Martinez, CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. “The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because fire experts say you may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late.”

The Red Cross has several tips for making an escape plan, including how to talk to children about fire safety:

• Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room
• Smoke is dangerous. Get low and go!
• Decide where to meet once you get outside. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as a neighbor’s home or a landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
• Get out and stay out. Never go back inside for people, pets or things.
• If a fire starts, you may have less than two minutes to get to safety. Time your fire drill and find out: what’s your escape time?
• While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

The agency also urges homeowners to have a smoke alarm on each floor, including inside and outside sleeping areas. But, the safety steps don’t end at installation — batteries should be tested once a month, and alarms older than 10 years should be replaced.

The Red Cross offers assistance to people who cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install them. Click here to learn more.

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