Daylight saving time begins Sunday and the American Red Cross North Texas Region reminds everyone to turn clocks forward one hour and test household smoke alarms.
To keep families safe from the risk of fire, the Red Cross encourages families to: Install smoke alarms on every level of a home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
Test alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year if a model requires it.
Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. That’s because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time.
Check the date of your smoke alarms and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Practice a two-minute escape plan. Make sure everyone in the household can get out in less than two minutes. The amount of time someone may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.
Include at least two ways to get out from every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from the home, such as a neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in the front yard, where everyone knows where to meet.
Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.
“As many as seven people die in this country every day from a home fire, but smoke alarms cut your risk in half,” said Katrina Farmer, Regional Disaster Officer, American Red Cross North Texas Region. “Protect your household this weekend. Turn your clocks forward and test your smoke alarms.”
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with family. Anyone can also download the free emergency app by searching for “American Red Cross” in app stores.
The Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters every year and most of them are home fires.
To help prevent fire-related deaths and injuries, the Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign with community partners in 2014 to reduce firerelated deaths and injuries.
Recently, with support from thousands of community partners, the campaign met its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and making 1 million households safer across the country.
So far, the Home Fire Campaign is credited with saving more than 1,583 lives in the U.S.
Because home fires remain a daily threat and the campaign has made a lifesaving difference, the Red Cross will be continuing the program with community partners as part of its standard services across the country.