Tip of the Week: Fire Safety

So yesterday brought our much needed extra hour of sunlight.  Too bad it also stole an hour of sleep... I'll still take it.  But did you do as the firefighters recommend?  Did you check, clean, and/or replace your smoke alarms?

Recommendations:

1. Make sure you have smoke alarms on every floor and close to sleeping areas.

2. If you have regular batteries (as opposed to a ten-year battery) in your smoke alarm, change the batteries each fall and spring when you change your clocks.

3. Did you know you should also clean out the dust from the smoke alarm?  A vacuum attachment usually does the job for this.

4. How long have you been in the home?  How long have the smoke detectors been there?  Smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years.

5. Make an escape plan with two escape routes and PRACTICE it.  Choose a visible spot outside to all meet once you're safely out.  This may feel like overkill as you practice, but it is the only way to have everyone, even young children, knowing what to do if the alarms ever do go off.

6. Know that young children will often sleep right through an alarm.  Be sure to incorporate that possibility into your plan, or consider adding a voice-activated alarm close to where children sleep.
link to alarm

Have your kids check out the Philadelphia Fire Department's Kid Zone.  They have sections for both readers and non-readers:
http://207.36.233.204/kidzone/selection.html