Fire    Versión en Español (PDF File) Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Prevention (PDF File) Make Your Home Fire Safe Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home. If people sleep with doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas, too. Use the test button to check each smoke alarm once a month. When necessary, replace batteries immediately. Replace all batteries at least once a year. Vacuum away cobwebs and dust from your smoke alarms monthly. Smoke alarms become less sensitive over time. Replace your smoke alarms every ten years. Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers in your home. Get training from the fire department in how to use them. Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your home. Plan Your Escape Routes Determine at least two ways to escape from every room of your home. Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floor. Learn how to use them and store them near the window. Select a location outside your home where everyone would meet after escaping. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Escape Safely Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from a neighbor's home. If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to your exit. If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second way out. If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Signal for help using a bright-colored cloth at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them where you are. Your Local Red Cross Chapter Can Provide Additional Materials in English and Spanish: "Fire Safety Pictorial Brochure" (ARC 5036) designed for people of low literacy. Contains few words, and those are in both English and Spanish. "Safe Living in Your Manufactured Home" (ARC 4465) gives fire, flood, and tornado safety information for people who live in manufactured (mobile) homes. "Wildfire...Are You Prepared?" (ARC 5020) "Your Family Disaster Plan" (ARC 4466) "Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit" (ARC 4463) Materials for Children: "Be Ready 1-2-3" features a children's workbook (ARC 5017), Instructor's Manual (ARC 5018), "How-To" Guide (ARC 5019), and "completion certificate" (C-814) that involve puppets who give important safety information to children ages 3-8 about residential fire safety, winter storms, and earthquakes. "Fire Safety Activity Poster" (ARC 5034) is an 18" x 24" poster designed for children ages 4-8 on one side, and 8-12 on the other. Contains a maze, puzzle, word find, and coloring pages. In English and Spanish. Fire Prevention Week Campaign Kit (ARC 5016) Contains ideas, stories, sample news releases, camera-ready artwork, and information for use during Fire Prevention Week, and, since most of the information in the kit is undated, throughout the year. "Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book" (PDF File) (ARC 2200, English, or ARC 2200S, Spanish) for children ages 3-10. "Adventures of the Disaster Dudes" (ARC 5024) video and Presenter's Guide for use by an adult with children in grades 4-6. And remember . . . when a fire, earthquake, tornado, flood, or other emergency happens in your community, you can count on your local American Red Cross chapter to be there to help you and your family. Your Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on contributions of your time, money, and blood. For more information, please contact your local American Red Cross chapter or emergency management office. If you would like permission to use the information about fires on this page in a newsletter or other publication, or on your Website, please e-mail using this Contact Us form.