Practicing Home Fire Drills

Nothnagle Realtors has partnered with the Prevention 1st Foundation to distribute safety materials to homeowners. Many accidents that occur in and around the home are preventable with some simple precautions and safety tips to follow.

Home Fire Drills

Does your family know what to do in the event of a fire? Lives can be saved if everyone in the household is prepared by planning and practicing your escape route. Here are some tips to help you get started:

* Think about how you will escape from every room, starting with bedrooms.

* If possible, plan two escape routes from each room. Your second route may be to go out a window, or stand at a window where firefighters can see you.

* Decide where you will meet outside.

* Plan everyone’s role. Who will make sure children get out? Plan for special needs. Do you have: Young children? Older adults? People with temporary or permanent disabilities? Do you ever have overnight guests?

* Share your plan with babysitters and frequent visitors.

* Keep your floors, hallways and stairs clear of clutter.

* Fire extinguishers require planning too.

* Practice your home fire drill.

You can make this fun for your kids! Prevention 1st offers an animated game for kids to play..."Help Mikey Make it Out." The foundation's web site also offers a 15-minute video to help you prepare and execute your plan.

Remember, regularly test your smoke detectors and always check your batteries. A good rule of thumb to follow if your smoke detector is battery-operated...change your clock, change your battery, and you will always be prepared.