Crime & Safety

Protect Your Family With Fire Safety Week Tips

Nassau County Firefighter Museum and Education Center shares important fire prevention rules.

As a kid you quickly learned "Stop, drop and roll" in case you catch fire, but there are other fire safety tips you should know to protect yourself, your family and your home.

In honor of Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 9 to Oct. 15, the Nassau County Firefighter Museum and Education Center is using this time to remind Long Islanders of some basic rules that can save lives.

They hope to not only educate people about the importance of fire prevention, but to also encourage everyone to take the necessary steps to update and maintain their smoke alarm protection, exit drills in the home and basic fire safety.

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“In reality, many fire deaths are preventable,” said Angelo Catalano, president of the Board of the Nassau County Firefighters Museum.

Fires and smoke claim hundreds of lives in New York alone each year but investigations later determine that a vast majority of these deadly fires could have been prevented or properly prepared for. According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, less than one-fourth of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. Of the almost three-quarters of Americans that do have a plan, less than half have actually practiced it.

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“Each year, we see tragic losses of life that just didn’t have to happen if folks would have just followed a few basic safety rules, like having an exit strategy in case of a fire," Catalano added. "These simple steps save lives.”

Take these actions today so your family is prepared.

  • Draw a map of your home. Show all doors and windows.
  • Visit each room. Find two ways out.
  • All windows and doors should open easily. You should be able to use them to get outside.
  • Make sure your home has smoke alarms. Push the test button to make sure each alarm is working.
  • Pick a meeting place outside. It should be in front of your home.
  • Everyone will meet at the meeting place.
  • Make sure your house or building number can be seen from the street.
  • Talk about your plan with everyone in your home.
  • Learn the emergency phone number for your fire department.
  • Practice your home fire escape drill!

 


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