FIRE SAFETY

Plan two escape routes out of each room.

Stay low to the ground when escaping from a fire.

Never open doors that are hot. Feel the bottom of the door with the palm of your hand. If it is hot, do not open the door. Find another way out.

Install smoke detectors. Clean and test them once a month. Change batteries twice a year.

Keep a whistle in each bedroom to awaken household members in case of fire.

Teach and practice the "Stop, Drop, and Roll" procedure.

Check electrical outlets. Do not overload them.

Purchase a fire extinguisher (5 lb., A-B-C type). Learn to use it.

Have a collapsible ladder on each upper floor of your house.

Choose a designated meeting place outside where all family members can meet in case of a fire. Periodically, hold family evacuation drills to be sure all members know how to go to the designated place.

Never reenter a burning building to look for family members. Tell a fireman the person is missing.

Keep an eye on smokers. Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy. Provide smokers with large, deep, non-tip ashtrays and soak butts with water before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home after someone has been smoking, check under and around cushions and upholstered furniture for smoldering cigarettes.

Cook carefully. Never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles and wear clothes with short, rolled-up, or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" three feet around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire on a stove, cover pan with a lid.

Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from heaters. Never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed.

Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high, preferably in a locked cabinet. Teach children to tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters.