NFPA Fire Safety

In a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and tragedy. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children — teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also at risk. Fire Prevention Week presents an ideal opportunity to make sure the public understands how to stay safe in case of a fire.

Ms. Lisa Braxton, public education manager at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), talks about this year’s campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.,” the three basic but essential steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a fire––and how to escape safely in the event of one:

• LOOK for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.
• LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. You may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds.
• LEARN two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.

For more information about smoke alarms and this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, visit firepreventionweek.org, or engage online at #FirePreventionWeek.