The American Red Cross works year-round to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires

TAMPA, Fla. – October 4, 2021 – American Red Cross volunteers stand by thousands of families every year who have suffered a home fire, providing resources and emotional support to help people recover. During Fire Prevention Week, October 3-9, the Red Cross urges everyone to take some time to develop fire-safe habits and home fire escape plans to help prevent fire tragedies.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, home fires killed more than 2,770 people in the United States in 2019. That’s an average of seven lives each day, most often in homes without working smoke alarms.

Nearly all of us have engaged in ordinary activities that can cause home fires like walking out of the kitchen while cooking or leaving burning candles unattended. Because these behaviors are so common, the Red Cross works year-round to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries through home fire safety education programs.

PLEDGE TO PREPARE TODAY During Fire Prevention Week, make a pledge to prepare your family against home fires, the nation’s most frequent disaster, by taking two simple steps:
 

1. Practice a 2-minute fire drill. Create an escape plan with at least two ways to exit every room in your home. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet. Practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes.
2. Test smoke alarms monthly. If they don’t sound when pressing the test button, change the batteries if the model requires it. If the alarms are 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced. Make sure smoke alarms are installed on each level of the home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.

FREE HOME FIRE SAFETY RESOURCES FOR ADULTS The Red Cross has a variety of programs and materials to help individuals and families learn about home fire prevention and safety:

• Attend a virtual “Be Red Cross Ready” presentation on home fires and seasonal weather hazards. Sessions are open to the public and registration is not required. Select and join a virtual program at www.redcross.org/PrepareFlorida.
• Register online for a 20-minute educational phone calls with one of our trained preparedness team members at www.redcross.org/PrepareFlorida.
• Find and download materials including fire safety checklists, fact sheets and an escape plan at redcross.org/fire.
• Download the free Red Cross Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps).

FREE HOME FIRE SAFETY RESOURCES FOR YOUTH Children can also learn what to do during a home fire and other emergencies with free resources and activities:

• Request a youth virtual preparedness presentation for your school, group or organization. Programs are designed for grades K-2 “Prepare with Pedro” and grades 3-5 “The Pillowcase Project.” Request a program and download resource materials at www.redcross.org/PrepareFlorida.
• Download age-appropriate preparedness materials and activity books at redcross.org/YouthPrep.
• Parents can enable the Pedro’s Fire Challenge skill on assistant-enabled devices to help children learn core home fire and preparedness skills, such as identifying smoke alarm locations, crawling under smoke in a fire and ways to cope after a fire. Learn more in this video.

PREPARING NOW CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE  Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign with community partners has saved at least 1,048 lives -- including nine in Central Florida -- by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/HomeFires.

The American Red Cross of Central Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands serves 19 Florida counties through five chapters: Florida’s Space Coast (Daytona Beach), Greater Orlando, Mid-Florida (Winter Haven), Southwest Florida (Sarasota) and Tampa Bay; and the Virgin Islands territories of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island. For more information, visit redcross.org. Also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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