(NAPSA) – There seem to be countless things we don’t think twice about when it comes to protecting our families. You’d never hit the road on a long road trip without buckling your baby in a car seat. And most people have a nightly habit of making sure the house is locked before going to bed. Both are simple things that become a habit in order to keep your family safe.
So why are Americans still not taking simple actions to protect their families from home fires? According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), almost 2,500 people die every year in home fires. Yet most of these deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
Did you also know that cooking is the main cause of home fires and home fire injuries? But it doesn’t have to be that way, because Fire is Everyone’s Fight™. There are simple steps you can take right now to reduce your risk of a home fire that could not just injure you or a loved one, but could take a life.
Put smoke alarms in your home to keep your family safe. Make sure your smoke alarms work. Your family is not safe if they can’t hear the smoke alarms. Test your smoke alarms. Push the test button. You will hear a loud noise. If you don’t hear the noise, you need a new battery or a new alarm. Fix this immediately.
To protect against cooking-related fires and injuries, keep an eye on what you fry. Most cooking fires start when someone is frying food. Hot oil and grease can burn people and start fires. Be prepared when cooking and make the cooking area safe. Make sure children and pets stay at least three (3) feet away from a hot stove. Clean and clear the area around the stove before you turn on the heat. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no one can bump them or pull them over.
Just as the simple click of a seat belt can become a habit that decreases your chance of being injured in a car crash, getting in the habit of doing these fire safety practices may help save your life or the life of your family one day. Remember, keeping you safe isn’t just the fire department’s job. Fire is Everyone’s Fight™.
