by Rebecca Churchill
I was a Girl Scout when I was younger, and liked “being
prepared” for things; even now, having the aptitude to take care of myself and
my loved ones feels good. As for fire safety, I assumed I knew enough. Guess
who just failed the Red Cross fire safety quiz with a 55%?
Test your fire
alarms once a month. I know that, but do I do it? No. I didn’t know you needed to
replace fire alarms every ten years, and I certainly don’t change the batteries
every year, just when they chirp in the middle of the night and you have to
knock the alarm off with a broom. It’s a bad kind of epiphany to realize that
I’ve been too casual about something as important as the safety and security of
my home and family.
So it’s a new year, and I’m going to jump onboard with the
Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. And I started this past Martin Luther King weekend, 2017. Their
mission is to get smoke alarms installed in as many homes as possible, and to
remind people to take a few minutes to check their alarms and practice exit
strategies to be prepared for a fire. I was shocked to find out when there are
no smoke alarms in the house, the mortality rate is nearly 60% for house fires.
The National Capital Region Red Cross is looking for
volunteers to help install fire alarms for those in need, and to get out the message
about the importance of home precautions. Volunteering is so easy – there’s no
training required – just join us and let’s help the Red Cross make an impact
right here in the DMV. Here’s the link that can get you started, whether you
want more info, the fire safety quiz, or to volunteer: http://www.redcross.org/local/washington-dc/volunteer/smoke-alarm-installations
Experts say you have as little as two minutes to get out of
the house in case of a fire. Do you have a plan if it happens to you?
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