St. Joseph, MO — It’s National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri encourages people to create a fire escape plan so everyone in the household knows what to do if a fire occurs.
“Large-scale disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes and floods always make the news, but the most common disaster threat people face across the country is a fire in their home,” said Angie Springs, Executive Director of the Northwest Missouri Chapter. “Here in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas, we have helped at the scene of 153 fires. We urge residents to develop a fire escape plan and practice it with everyone in their household.”
Steps for people to create a fire escape plan include:
- Walking through the home and looking at all exits and possible escape routes, including windows;
- Listing two ways to get out of every room in case fire blocks one of the paths;
- Picking a place to meet outside, a safe distance away from the home;
- Conducting drills. Practice until every member of the household, including children, can escape the home in less than two minutes;
- Making sure everyone knows how to call 9-1-1; and
- Teaching everyone to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.
People should also install smoke alarms on every level of their home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. They should test the alarms monthly, install new batteries at least once a year or according to the alarm manufacturer’s instructions, and replace alarms every ten years.
You can also download Red Cross apps. The Red Cross Emergency App contains information on how to prevent home fires and what to do if one occurs. Children can learn about fire prevention and safety through gaming with the Monster Guard: Prepare for Emergencies App. Designed for 7 to 11-year-olds, the app teaches them safety tips for a variety of disasters by having them role-play as different monster characters. Both apps are available to download for free in app stores or at redcross.org/apps.
Additional fire safety tips and resources are available at redcross.org/homefires.