Fire Prevention Week: Protect your household by practicing home fire escape plan, testing smoke alarms
Home fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S. – but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, over the past seven years, more people have died in home fires in Pennsylvania than in any other state.1 During Fire Prevention Week (October 6-12), the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania reminds everyone to help protect your household by testing your smoke alarms each month and practicing your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.
“Fire now travels faster through homes, largely due to popular open-concept layouts and synthetic materials,” said Jorge Martinez, CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. “The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because fire experts say you may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late.”
Tips for creating your home fire escape plan and practicing your two-minute drill:
- Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home.
- Smoke is dangerous. Get low and go!
- Decide where to meet once you get outside. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as a neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
- Get out and stay out. Never go back inside for people, pets or things.
- If a fire starts, you may have less than two minutes to get to safety. Time your fire drill and find out: what’s your escape time?
- While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.
Smoke alarm safety:
- Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
- In addition to testing your alarms once a month, change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
- Also check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a home fire escape plan to create and practice with your household. You can also download our free Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).
SOUND THE ALARM The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania is rallying volunteers to install free smoke alarms in communities across the commonwealth. Over the past year, we’ve installed nearly 10,000 free smoke alarms for Pennsylvania neighbors though our Sound the Alarm campaign.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be holding a special series of Sound the Alarm events in high-risk communities with local volunteers, firefighters and community partners. Together, we’ll meet with local families to install free smoke alarms, help them create a two-minute fire escape plan and share safety information on home fires and other local disaster risks.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from our regional partners: Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Erie Insurance Group, EQT, FedEx Ground, MSA, National Fuel Gas, Seneca Resources, UGI Utilities, Inc., UPMC and UPMC Health Plan.
GET HELP If you need assistance, visit SoundTheAlarm.org/GreaterPA for a free smoke alarm installation.
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,196 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org. Follow the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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1 U.S. Fire Administration. “Civilian Fatalities.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/civilian-fatalities?startDate=2017-10-01&endDate=2024-10-01.
