Escape Plan Tips:

· Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes.  Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.

· Everyone in the household must understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.

· Always choose the escape route that is safest – the one with the least amount of smoke and heat – but be prepared to escape under toxic smoke if necessary. When you do your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your exit.

· Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.

Once you're out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

Smoke Alarm Tips:

The right way to install smoke alarms

· Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, making sure that there is an alarm outside every separate sleeping area.

· Hard-wired smoke alarms operate on your household electrical current. Alarms that are hard-wired should have battery backups in case of a power outage, and should be installed by a qualified electrician.

· If you or someone in your home is deaf or hard of hearing, consider installing an alarm that combines flashing lights, vibration, and/or sound.

· Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises). Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.

· If you have ceilings that are pitched, install the alarm near the ceiling's highest point.

· Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.

Never paint smoke alarms. Paint, stickers, or other decorations could keep the alarms from working.

A life-saving test: check your smoke alarms regularly

· Test your smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer's instructions.

· Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps" warning that the battery is low. Hint: schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clocks from daylight savings time to standard time in the fall.

· Never "borrow" a battery from a smoke alarm. Smoke alarms can't warn you of fire if their batteries are missing or have been disconnected.

· Don't disable smoke alarms even temporarily. If your smoke alarm is sounding "nuisance alarms," try relocating it farther from kitchens or bathrooms, where cooking fumes and steam can cause the alarm to sound.

· Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms, following the manufacturer's instructions, can keep them working properly.

· Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace yours once every 10 years. If you can't remember how old the alarm is, then it's probably time for a new one.

· Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.