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Home › Articles › Home Safety Issues › Smoke Signals of Safety

Smoke Signals of Safety

10 Life-Saving Tips Every Family Should Know

By Gina Roberts-Grey, LCSW

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Who knows more about fire safety, you or your kids? Take this quiz and check your answers at the end of the article.

1. What are the three steps to follow if your clothes catch on fire?
2. Which hurts more people in a fire, smoke or fire?
3. How can you identify a bad burn?
4. Electricity and _____________ are a deadly combination.
5. Is it safe to be in a car or outside during a lightening storm?

As National Fire Safety Month, October is more than the time for witches, goblins and ghouls. This month is the time for families to discuss the fact that fires are terrifying events that devastate families at an alarming rate. In the thousands of home fires that occur every year, more than 5,000 people lose their lives as the direct result of a fire. Whether a house is struck by lightening, a fireplace flares out of control or faulty wiring smolders inside a wall, home fires do not discriminate against race, religion or social status.

According to statistics collected by the commonwealth of Massachusetts, injuries to children in fires occur nearly twice as often as injuries to adults. This tipped scale is attributed to a variety of reasons – children are left home alone or with a babysitter, children do not always know how to escape a fire and they typically tend to hide from fire safety personnel during an attempted rescue.

Although every parent fervently hopes their family is spared the trauma of a fire, arming yourselves with a wealth of safety tips significantly increases the odds of survival in the event of a fire.

A Simple Fire Fact
Smoke detectors save lives. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission cautions parents that properly installed and maintained smoke detectors reduce your chances of injury or death by at least 50 percent. Adhering to the recommended smoke detector installation and maintenance is vital to your family's survival. For the maximum coverage, you should have a working smoke detector in every room (except the bathrooms), including the basement, crawlspace and attic. Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., based in Northbrook, Ill., suggests checking the batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year, testing the alarm once a month and frequently vacuuming the dust that collects on the alarm to ensure its proper operation.

The Benefit of Modern Technology

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