Did you know? 

• Having a working smoke alarm reduces one’s chance of dying in a fire by one-half.

• Fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1-14 years. 

• Children ages 5 and under are at a greater risk from home fire-related death and injury, with a fire death rate 1.5 times the national average.
  
  
  • A less acute perception of danger, less control over their environment, and a limited ability to react promptly and properly to a fire contribute to this excess risk.

Smoke Alarms are Essential

• As of 2004, 96 percent of homes in the United States had at least one smoke alarm. 

• However, only three-quarters of all homes had at least one working smoke alarm. 

• When a child dies in a residential fire, a smoke alarm is not working or not present in almost three-quarters of these occurrences.

Home Fire Sprinklers Provide Added Protection

• If you are building a new home, consider adding a fire sprinkler system.

• If there is a reported fire in your home, fire sprinklers reduce the risk of dying by about 80 percent.

• For more information, go to www.homefiresprinkler.org.

Action Plan - Fire prevention starts with you! 

Preparation and education are key elements of preventing fire tragedies.  Here are a few simple steps for you to help prevent fire-related injuries and deaths in your home. 

• Purchase smoke alarms.  Smoke alarms are available at a variety of price points; they can be battery operated or electrically hard wired in your home.     

• Install the smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, making sure that there is an alarm outside every separate sleeping area and in every bedroom.

• Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises). Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.

• Test smoke alarms monthly; follow the manufacturer's instructions.  

• Replace smoke alarm batteries once a year, or as soon as the battery chirps warning that the battery is low.  Replace batteries even if alarms are hardwired in case of a power outage.

• Create and practice an escape route with your family.  Mark two ways out of every room, including doors and windows. 

• Choose a safe meeting place outside the home.  Make sure to mark this on your escape plan.   

• Have a designated person to help young children and others who might have difficulty escaping.

• Once there is a fire, get out and stay out! Call 911 from a neighbor’s house. 

	Store matches and lighters in locked cabinets.
	Never leave the kitchen unattended while cooking and never leave a child alone while cooking.
	Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
	Keep and maintain a safe distance (3 feet) between space heaters and anything that can burn.
	Keep children away from candles and other open flames.

Developed by the U. S. Fire Administration in partnership with Safe Kids USA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Fire Protection Association and ZERO TO THREE