Information for All Citizens

• The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that 300 people are killed, and $280 million in property is destroyed each year due to children playing with fire.
• There are more child fire-related injuries and fatalities at home than in any other location.
• Children younger than 6 years old are more than twice as likely to die in a fire than any other age group,
• Fires kill approximately 500 children under the age of 15 every year.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms, and outside sleeping areas. 
• Once a month, check whether each alarm in the home is working properly by pushing the test button. 
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year. Immediately install a new battery if an alarm chirps, warning the battery is low.
• Teach your children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
• Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home and where to meet up outside.
• Practice your fire escape plan at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Practice waking up to smoke alarms, low crawling, and meeting outside. Make sure everyone knows how to call 911.
• Emphasize “get out, stay out.” Only professional firefighters should enter a building that is on fire—even if other family members, pets, or prized possessions are inside.
• Use quick-release devices on barred windows and doors. Security bars without release devices can trap you in a deadly fire. If you have security bars on your windows, be sure one window in each sleeping room has a release device.
• Consider getting escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floor. Learn how to use them, and store them near the windows. 
• Teach household members to STOP, DROP, and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.

Every family should have a comprehensive plan to escape their home in an emergency. When creating an escape plan, families should:

• Identify at least two ways out of each room in the home. Ensure exits are not blocked.
• Designate a safe spot from the home to meet once they’ve escaped.
• Install escape ladders on higher floors and teach children how to use them in case of emergency.
• Be sure children understand that they should crawl to safety to avoid rising smoke.
• Teach children to Stop, Drop, & Roll if their clothing catches fire.
• Emphasize that children should never return to a burning building for any reason.

Your children should be able to recite the escape plan back to you and execute it in family drills with minimal supervision. Experts recommend that families regularly practice their escape plan at least twice a year to keep children familiar with what they must do in an emergency.