LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If you woke up to a fire in your home, how much time do you think you would have to get to safety?
According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), one-third of Americans households who made and estimate they thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life threatening. Unfortunately, the time available is often less.
That's why Louisville Fire Department is teaming up with NFPA during Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, 2012, to urge residents to "Have Two Ways Out!" This year's theme focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice.
In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to 369,500 home structure fires (One home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds). These fires caused 13,350 civilian injuries, 2,640 civilian deaths, and $6.9 billion in direct damage. Fire is unpredictable and moves faster than most people realize. Having a tried and true escape plan with two ways out is essential to ensuring your family's safety should fire break out in your home.
The Louisville Fire Department offers the following tips for protecting your home and family from fire:
- Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home (including the basement), interconnecting them so that when one sounds, they all sound.
- Make sure everyone in your home knows how to respond if the smoke alarm sounds and test them monthly.
- Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible ways out. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.
- Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
- Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around hot cooking surfaces and space heaters.
- Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.
- If you smoke, smoke outside, using deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.
- Blow out all candles when you leave the room and avoid the use of candles in the bedroom.
Don't miss the Great Louisville Fire Drill on Oct. 14 at Iroquois Park from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
More Fire Safety Tips:
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