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The headline is correct: Most experience shows people have just two minutes to escape a home fire -- our nation's most frequent disaster.
Don't be apathetic
It's heating season in our part of the world.
So practice your escape plan and test your smoke alarms; you can contact the American Red Cross to request a free smoke alarm installation.
The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania urges everyone to practice a two-minute home fire escape plan and test their smoke alarms to stay safe from the nation's most frequent disaster.
Two minutes is the amount of time that fire experts say you may have to safely escape a home fire before it's too late.
In 2021, the Greater Pennsylvania Region of the Red Cross responded to nearly 1,700 home fires.
Volunteers responded to 33% more home fires in colder months than in warmer ones.
Here's what the Red Cross recommends:
5 Practice your plan with everyone in your household; also teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do in an emergency. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a printable escape plan and safety tips for cooking and home heating -- the leading causes of home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association, which is sponsoring Fire Prevention Week with the theme, "Fire Won't Wait. Plan Your Escape."
5 Include at least two ways to exit every room in your home in your escape plan.
5 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.
5 Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
5 Check the manufacturer's date of your smoke alarms. If they're 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such as batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarm's manufacturer instructions.
5 Tailor an escape plan to everyone's needs in your household. If you or a loved one is deaf or hard of hearing, install strobe light and bed-shaker alarms to help alert you to a fire.
You can visit redcross.org/ASL-disaster-resources for more information, including resources in American Sign Language.
IF YOU NEED HELP If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help.
Our region's chapter is the Mid Central Pennsylvania Chapter at 328 Innovation Blvd., Suite 212, State College, Pa., 16803.
Send an email to info.gpa@redcross.org.