Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. October is National Fire Prevention Month and is the perfect time to gather your family and discuss fire safety.

Making sure that our home is safe and that we are prepared in case of a fire, has always been #1 on our parenting to-do list. From checking batteries, to thoroughly written out plans and safety drills every few months, we know how important it is for our kids to be prepared just as much as it is that we are.

Since October is National Fire Prevention Month, if your family does not have a plan together, this is the perfect time to gather your family and discuss fire safety.

Here are a few tips that we have incorporated over the last few years to ensure our family is ready and prepared.

Teach the Kids

We started teaching our kids about fire safety around the ages of 2-3 years old, and have made it a point to discuss it with them as often as possible. One thing I have learned is that it’s not enough to just tell them not to play with matches, but it’s important to teach them about possible fire hazards and to be aware of their actions that could lead to a fire.

It’s the little things like tossing a shirt over their lamp or not emptying the lint trap in the dryer that parents don’t always catch but kids can prevent. If you put your child in charge of fire safety in your house, you can guarantee that they will take it seriously.

​​​​​​​A fun way to keep the kids interested is to make them junior fire marshalls! Download this fun badge to involve your kids in the process of keeping their home safe!

Plan Your Escape/Practice Regularly

Plan and practice an emergency escape plan at least twice a year. When an actual emergency happens, you will already have the knowledge about what to do, and where to go, available to you. If a fire were to ever happen in your home, it’s important to have an escape route and meeting place lined up that is a safe distance from your home, for your family. Things can get hectic, so having one spot for everyone will you to take count quickly of who is there and who isn’t and spring into action if needed.

This means even practicing that escape plan with your family on a regular basis and at different times of the day. Late at night, early in the morning, when it’s hot when it’s cold–just do it.
Be sure to download this handy checklist and make a written plan for your family, so everyone is on one accord in case of an emergency.

Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms Save Lives

It’s important to make sure that you install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Alarms should be tested regularly, with batteries replaced at least every six months. There are also alarms that provide hassle-free protection that you can upgrade to 10- year sealed battery alarms to eliminate battery replacements

here should you have smoke detectors in your home? On every level and in every bedroom of your home. The smoke alarms themselves should be replaced every 10 years from the manufacture date, not when you installed them.

Did you know that 3 out of 5 home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms? Please be sure that you add protection and test your alarms regularly.

NEVER disconnect a smoke detector or remove its batteries! 

Do not remove your alarms or remove the batteries without replacing them. (Source: National Fire Protection Association).

Keep A Fire Extinguisher Ready In Your Kitchen

Another fact that you may not have known is that the #1 cause of fires is unattended cooking. How many times have you started cooking and have left it unattended on the stove?

It’s important that fire extinguishers should be kept on every level of the home, especially on the main level near the kitchen. (Other areas, laundry room. garage, near bedrooms, by the grill).

Reminders: Never leave the kitchen unattended while cooking. Create a three-foot, “kid-free zone” in the kitchen around the stove and areas with hot food or drink.

How do you and your family prepare for an emergency? Follow me on social @NatashaVBrown and share your tips and plan!