1. Home Fire Preparedness

2. Why Fire?

3. Why Fire?

4. Constant Risk of Home Fires
1,000 times a day, a fire department responds to a home fire.
36 times a day, a fire-related injury is reported.
Seven times each day, someone dies in a home fire.
Nearly 5 million homes do not have a smoke alarm installed.
National Fire Protection Association, 2013
National Fire Protection Association, 2014

5. Effect of Home Fires
Last year, the Red Cross responded to nearly 60,000 home fires.
Arizona Chapter responds to a fire every 17 hours, on average.
After each of these, residents had a lot to face:
Finding a safe place to stay
Purchasing food and clothing
Replacing lost possessions
Notifying loved ones
Navigating insurance
A Red Cross volunteer meets with Erica Lopez from Chicago, Ill., whose home was destroyed by a fire. The Red Cross provided comfort kits, as well as support for food, clothing and shelter to Erica and her children.
1 National Fire Protection Association, 2013

6. What are the most common sources of home fires?
1. Cooking
2. Heating
3. Smoking
4. Electrical
5. Candles

7. Why Smoke Alarms Matter
Smoke Alarms in US Households
Home Fire Fatalities in US Households
Data shows nearly 4% of the homes without smoke alarms represent nearly 40% of the home fires, and that working smoke alarms can double someone’s chance of surviving a fire.
Households with at least one working alarm
Households with no alarms
Households with non-working alarms
Source: National Fire Protection Association (M. Ahrens, 2014)

8. Planning is Key
Only 10 percent of households have taken appropriate preparedness steps, including creating an escape plan.
Practicing your plan ensures your entire family knows how to respond should a fire occur.
Specific populations are at a greater risk of home fires:
Low-income
Elderly
Disabled
Young people
1 Harris Interactive Emergency Preparedness Survey, 2009
2 National Fire Prevention Association, 2014

9. The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign

10. Campaign Strategies Neighborhood Canvassing:
Engaging partners, including fire dept
Going door-to-door in high-risk areas
Installing smoke alarms
Educating on local hazard
Helping families prepare escape plan
Engaging Youth:
Educating youth on the science of fire
Teaching them what to do when a fire occurs
Marketing campaign to drive behavior:
A call to action; check your smoke alarms, and practice your escape plan

11. Installation Team Goals
Testing and installing smoke alarms
Educating residents on fire safety & other local disasters
Documenting resident information and services provided
Fire prevention and preparedness starts at home, and there are some key steps you can take right now to help make your family and neighbors safer.

12. Installation

13. Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms save lives. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Place smoke alarms high on a wall or on the ceiling.
Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
Replace batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm “chirps”, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly.
When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.

14. Technology 101 10- year battery smoke alarms
Battery is sealed inside so that it can’t be tampered with
Lithium battery should last 10 years
Battery isn’t activated until it is put onto the plate

15. Installation Tool Kit Hammer Awl Screwdriver Slip Joint Pliers
Measuring Tape

16. Installation Alarm Location
Install an alarm outside each separate sleeping area.
Install an alarm on each level of the home including the basement.
Suggest that the homeowner install an alarm in every bedroom.

17. Installation Alarm Location
Wall or ceiling locations are both acceptable.
Avoid the 4” “dead space” where the wall meets the ceiling.
Mobile home- install alarm on INSIDE WALL ONLY

18. • Garages • Laundry Rooms
Installation
DO NOT install smoke alarms in the following locations:
• Kitchens • Bathrooms
• Garages • Laundry Rooms
• Dusty or Greasy Areas
These areas are prone to “nuisance alarms” and excessive moisture, grease or dust can damage the sensors.

19. Education

20. Education Matters Smoke alarms don’t prevent injuries
Smoke alarms don’t prevent fires
Smoke alarms don’t prevent injuries
Smoke alarms can’t encourage you to practice your plan
Education saves lives

21. Educator Information Help residents make a fire escape plan
Two routes out of every room
Practice (fire drills) at least twice a year
Ensure that residents know to:
Check closed doors for heat before opening them
Get low to stay below toxic smoke
Get Out and Stay Out! … if a fire starts, you may have just TWO minutes to get to safety!
Call 911 from their outside meeting location
Review a home fire safety checklist with residents

24. Testing & Maintenance Instruct the resident to:
Test battery and horn function monthly by pressing the test button.
Replace battery (Alkaline only) every six months regardless of functionality.
Never remove the Lithium battery from the alarm. The battery should last the useful life of the alarm, approximately 5-10 years.
Periodically vacuum the surface of the alarm if dust is present.

25. Documentation

26. Documentation Service Acknowledgement Form
Have the resident read, fill in the address, sign and date the waiver
You will witness, sign and date the waiver and fill in the number of alarms installed and tested.
Be sure to leave the smoke alarm User’s Manual with the resident when you leave!
Show the Service Acknowledgment Form

29. Ways to get involved

30. Partners

31. Any Questions?