August 28, 2008

Health Tip: Prepare a Fire Safety Plan

(HealthDay News) -- Fires in the home can spread quickly, so it's important to devise a fire safety plan.

Here are suggestions to prepare for a fire emergency, courtesy of the U.S. National Safety Council:

• It's best to sleep with the door closed. Teach children, in the event of a fire emergency, to feel the door for heat before opening.
• Create an escape route for each area of the home, and decide on a meeting point outside the home.
• Create a map that's easy for everyone to read.
• Tell young children not to hide during a fire. Also explain that they shouldn't be afraid of firemen -- that firemen are there to help.
• Teach children to drop down and crawl beneath the smoke to escape the home.
• In low-level homes, make sure that bedroom windows open easily (aren't painted shut), as they may be a secondary means of escape.
• Make sure that everyone in the house knows how to use an escape ladder.
• Explain that no one must ever go back into a burning building.
• Young children should know their last name, street address, and how to dial 911 from a neighbor's house or cell phone.

-- Diana Kohnle

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