Fire Preparation Avoids Needless Death
After reading a tragic story Wednesday on CNN.com, I was reminded of the importance preparation plays in avoiding unnecessary death at home.
According to CNN.com, a 6-year-old girl who lived in Pennsylvania with her family escaped a house fire the previous day—only to run back inside to get her mother, whom she mistakenly thought was still there.
Unbeknownst to the girl, her mother jumped to safety from a second-floor window. The child perished inside while searching for her.
The thought of that little girl inside her home calling out her mother's name just broke my heart!
Since I just purchased a new home of my own, it also reminded me that I needed to establish a fire escape route and prepare my family should, God forbid, we ever face such an awful crisis ourselves.
If you've never thought about what your family would do in case of a home fire, the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) recommends these simple steps to protection:
- Install smoke detectors and familiarize your family with the sound of the alarm.
- Plan an escape route from your home. If possible, every room should have two escape routes.
- Remember that smoke and heat rise. When you encounter smoke, crawl on the floor where the air is cleaner.
The I.I.I. also tells you how to protect your property from fire on this page of its Web site.
Don't let your children or loved ones end up like the little girl in the story above. Prepare yourself, them and your home for fire.
You may never need it—but then again, you just may.
