National Fire Prevention Week is October 4-10, and the Red Cross of South Carolina along with Fire Safe SC urges residents to test their smoke alarms and practice their escape plan.

Since January, the American Red Cross has responded to more than 1,400 home fires across South Carolina to help nearly 4,100 people with urgent needs like emergency lodging, financial assistance and recovery planning. The nation’s most frequent disaster, home fires, are most often caused by cooking according to the National Fire Protection Association. Each year the NFPA sponsors Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme is, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”

“Home fires haven’t stopped during COVID-19 and neither has the need to prevent fire tragedies,” said Rod Tolbert, the CEO of the Red Cross of South Carolina. “During Fire Prevention Week, we recommend testing your smoke alarms and practicing your escape plan. These simple steps can help protect you and your loved ones in the event of a fire.”

RED CROSS SURVEY: MOST OF US ARE UNDERPREPARED Home fires claim seven lives a day in the U.S., but a 2020 national Red Cross survey shows most citizens aren’t taking the following necessary protective steps. These include:

• Testing your smoke alarms each month to ensure they’re working — which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. Still, 65% of us don’t.
• Practicing your escape plan twice a year increases the odds of survival. But 70% of us don’t.
• Escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy. Yet more than half of us think we have more time.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY

“During Fire Prevention Week, this is a great time to test your smoke alarms and practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes,” Fire Safe SC Section Chief Josh Fulbright said. “Also, when testing an alarm, look for its ‘birthdate’ printed on the back of the alarm. If you don’t see a date, it is definitely more than 10 years old and must be replaced.”

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information or download the free Red Cross Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).

• Test your smoke alarms monthly. 
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
• Change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
• Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s
  instructions.
• Practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.
• Include 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.
• Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

The Red Cross Home Fire Campaign is made possible with generous financial donations from regional partners: Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Security Finance, Jim Hudson Automotive Group, Landmark Construction, Michelin Corporate Foundation, TKS Foundation, South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, Southeastern Freight Lines, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, John I. Smith Charities, United Way of Florence County, Collum Lumber, United Way of Greenville County, United Way of the Piedmont, Dominion Energy, MUSC, Palmetto Electric, Berkley Electric, Williams Brice-Edwards Charitable Fund, South Carolina Realtors, Duke Energy, Dorothy D. Smith Charitable Foundation, Hart Hyland Shepard Attorneys at Law, City of North Charleston, SPINX, Carolina Foundations, Daniel Island Community Fund, Coastal Community Foundation of SC, Benefitfocus, Landmark Construction, Wells Fargo Foundation, iHeart media, Gay Dolphin Gift Cove, Southeast Restaurant Group, Sonoco, Milliken, Bill Horton and Marry Major, Blue Marlin Supply, Bank of America, City of Florence, Chapin Foundation, G&P Trucking, Full Steam Ahead, Leonard, Call & Associates, State Far, SynTerra, The Self Family Foundation, Bonner Family Private Foundation, NUCOR, McLeod Health, Volvo, United Way of Hartsville, United Way of Horry County, W. Lee Flowers & Company, Waccamaw Community Foundation, WPDE, J.M. Smith, Fairfield Electric, Parrish Foundation-Columbia, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Mungo Homes, AllState, Molina Healthcare, United Way of Pickens County, United Way of Oconnee County, Spinnaker Resorts Southwind Management Group, CHOATE Construction, Medical Society of SC, Palmetto Health, HOME Telecom, Charleston Riverdogs, AVX Corporation, SEW Eurodrive, Crane Foundation, Blue Ridge Electric, CF Evans, Davis Supply, Sargent Foundation, Lucyle Love Foundation, Giant Cement, Anderson Brothers Bank, WebsterRogers, Jackson Family Foundation, Coker Foundation, Building Industry Association

About the American Red Cross Home Fire Safety Survey:
These findings are from a CARAVAN® Survey conducted by ENGINE INSIGHTS on January 10-12, 2020 on behalf of the American Red Cross. For the survey, a demographically representative sample of 1,004 adults ages 18 and over from the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. The precision of a CARAVAN survey can be measured using a margin of error calculation. In this case, the poll has a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points for all respondents surveyed.

About Fire Safe South Carolina:
Fire Safe South Carolina will unite fire service organizations to engage influential community stakeholders; together, we will support local fire departments to serve their citizens through strategic community risk reduction programs.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.