Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape

Babe’s Plumbing, Inc. & Fire Sprinklers is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®)—the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years—to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!” The campaign works to educate everyone about the small but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

NFPA statistics show that in 2017 U.S. fire departments responded to 357,000 home structure fires. These fires caused 2,630 fire deaths and 10,600 fire injuries. On average, seven people died in a fire in a home per day during 2012 to 2016.

“These numbers show that home fires continue to pose a significant threat to safety,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out.

Babe’s Plumbing, Inc. & Fire Sprinklers knows that not all single-family residences are equipped with fire sprinklers, making it all that more important to have a fire escape plan and operational smoke alarms. Remember:

• Have an escape map and review it with all family members
• Be sure each room has 2 ways out
• Have each family member practice opening windows to be sure they are functioning easily
• Have a meeting spot outside, in the front of the house that all members report to
• Practice your escape plan regularly

Also, if your household includes members that need special assistance, such as the very young or aging adults, it is important that your escape plan accounts for them.

Did you know that when fire sprinklers are installed in a building, 97% of the time, the fire is contained to the location it originally began? If you are moving into a new apartment building or condominium complex, it is important to check the common areas, such as hallways and lobbies, for fire sprinklers. These are the areas that you will likely be escaping through and fire sprinklers will give you additional time to safely exit. In addition, if you are building a new homes, fire sprinkler systems can be added to your plans and provide a cost-effective way to help protect your home and the people and animals inside, in case of a fire.

For more resources on Fire Prevention week, including home escape maps, lesson plans for kids, and safety tips, visit https://www.nfpa.org/fpw