Fire Prevention Week: Be Fire Safe

During Fire Prevention Week, make sure you and your household are ready in the event of a fire with these tips from the Philadelphia Fire Department:

• Install smoke alarms. Place smoke alarms on every level, outside bedrooms, at the top of open stairways or at the bottom of enclosed stairs.
• Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries twice a year. Make it a habit when you reset your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
• Replace smoke alarms once every 10 years.
• Have a Go Bag of essential emergency supplies in case you need to evacuate.
• Create a Home Escape Plan for your family and practice escaping from each room.
• Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut, and that security gratings or burglar bars on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside.
• Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one level and ensure that burglar bars and other anti-theft mechanisms that block outside window entry are easily opened from the inside.
• Teach family members to stay low to the floor (where the air is safer) when escaping from a fire.
• Install A-B-C-type fire extinguishers in your home and teach family members how to use them.
• Make sure your home is insured. If you rent, buy renter's insurance.
• Place heaters at least three feet away from flammable materials. Use extreme caution when using alternative heating sources, such as space heaters.

For more information, visit the Fire Preparedness page on the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management website, check out the Fire Safety Checklist or download the Philadelphia Fire Department's Fire Safety App.