Family preparedness stressed during Fire Prevention Week
Comet staff report

The American Red Cross urged families to prepare for and prevent a home fire during National Fire Prevention Week - Practice Your Escape Plan occuring now through Oct. 13.

Nationally, the number of home fires the Red Cross responds to is up 10 percent since 2000. Only 26 percent of families have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan according to a May 2006 poll conducted by ORC International on behalf of the Red Cross.

The Red Cross offered the following recommendations regarding fire escape plans:

• Family plans should include two ways to escape from every room in the house;

• practice the escape plan at least twice per year;

• select a safe location away from the home where your family can meet after escaping;

• consider purchasing and storing escape ladders for rooms above ground level and practice using them;

• 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;

• before escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second escape route;

• if smoke, heat or flames block both of your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Place a rolled towel underneath the door. Signal for help by waving a brightlycolored cloth or by shining a flashlight at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and let them know your exact location inside the home; and

• once you've escaped your home, do not re-enter it.

Visit www.redcross.org/ homefires for more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information.