The 2019 National Fire Prevention Week is being held Oct. 6-12. 

This year's campaign is "Not Every Hero Wears a Cape." The campaign works to educate everyone about the small steps they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

Officials recommend that you make an escape plan and practice it. This will insure that everyone knows what to do in a fire and is prepared to escape quickly and safely. You may have as little as two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.

Here are four essentials for making an escape plan:

SMOKE ALARMS:
Mark the location of all smoke alarms in your home.

MAP IT OUT:
Draw a map of your home and makr two exits from every room (typically a door and a window.)

MEETING PLACE:
Pick a meeting place outside in front of your home where everyone will meet upon exiting.

911:
Make sure everyone knows how to call 911 or the local emergency number once they're safely outside.

 

The National Fire Protection Association also has these tips on how to help prevent fires:

Look for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them. Make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.

Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.

 

Fire Prevention Week was proclaimed in 1925, by President Calvin Coolidge, making it the longest-running public health observance in the United States.

MORE RESOURCES:
National Fire Protection Association
Fire Prevention Week: Safety Tip Sheets
Fire Safety Checklist for Caregivers and Older Adults
U.S. Fire Administration
Presidential Proclamation: 2019 Fire Prevention Week