Today's homes burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire, you many have as little as one to two minutes to escape safety from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Knowing how to use that time wisely takes planning and practice. 

October 7 -13 is Fire Prevention Week. Sponsored by NFPA for more than 90 years, this year's theme is "Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere," which works to educate the public about basic but essential ways to quickly and safely escape a home fire. 

NFPA statistics show that the number of U.S. home fires has been steadily declining over the past few decades. However, the death rate per 1,000 home fires that are reported to fire departments was 10% higher in 2016 than in 1980.

This year's "Look. Listen. Learn." campaign highlights three steps people can take to help quickly and safely  escape a fire:

• Look for places fire could start.
• Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm.
• Learn 2 ways out of every room.

In a fire, every second counts. It is important to know what to do if there is a fire. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. The checklists below can help you prepare.

Fire Safety Checklist for Homeowners
Keep Your Home Safe From Fire
Know Two Ways Out
Prevent a Fire From Starting

At our Annual Conference, new Board members were elected and sworn in. Please join us in congratulating President Julius Halas, Vice President Jim Greeson, Secretary-Treasure Michael Desrochers, Immediate Past President H. Butch Browning, and Directors  Brian Geraci, Jeff Hussey, Mike Morgan, and Coy Porter.  We appreciate the service of each member and look forward to a productive year! 

Hurricane Florence and others this year have made for a busy hurricane season. While we are well into the season, it's never too late to make a plan to keep your family safe.  Fire prevention and safety should be a key part of every household hurricane safety plan.  

For more information on how to prepare, please click HERE to download more tips on storm preparations. Be safe!

Please note our new mailing address and forward all future correspondence to this address.  Thank you!

National Association of State Fire Marshals
P.O. Box 948238
Maitland, FL 32794