Children under age 5 are twice as likely as the rest of us to die in a fire. Each year, thousands

of children are injured or killed in home fires, and 40 percent of them are under age five.

To help protect babies and toddlers from the devastating effects of fire, the United States

Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),

has begun a national public safety campaign. USFA is working with the American Academy

of Pediatrics, NFPA, National SAFE KIDS Campaign and ZERO TO THREE to deliver this

important message to parents and those who care for children under age 5.  That message is Prepare, Practice and Prevent.

• PREPARE — make your home safer from fire.
• PRACTICE fire safety — especially your home fire escape plan.
• PREVENT THE UNTHINKABLE.

When making your home safe from fire, understand that matches, lighters, and other heat sources

are the leading causes of fire-related deaths for children under age 5. In fact, toddlers actually

cause a large number of home fires by playing with lighters and matches. Children have a natural

curiosity about fire. Don’t underestimate their ability to strike matches or start a lighter. To prepare your home to keep it safe from curious children:

• Store matches and lighters out of children’s reach and sight, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Teach toddlers to tell you when they find a match or a lighter.
• Remember that even child-resistant lighters are not childproof, and store them safely.
• When a child is curious about fire or has been playing with fire, calmly and firmly explain that matches and lighters are tools for adults to use carefully.
• Never use matches or lighters as amusement. Children may imitate you.
• Prevent fires by practicing and teaching fire safe behaviors in your home. Keep children 3 feet away from the stove when cooking, don’t overload outlets, have your heating systems checked annually and use deep ashtrays and soak the ashes in water, if you smoke.

Smoke alarms are a key element in your preparing your home to be safer from fire.  They can mean the difference between life and death for your child in a fire.  In fact, two-thirds of home fires that kill children occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. When fire breaks out, you have only seconds to escape its heat, black smoke and deadly gases. Families can dramatically increase the chances of surviving a fire simply by installing and maintaining working smoke alarms. Most hardware, home supply, or general merchandise stores sell smoke alarms and their batteries. Some local fire departments offer smoke alarms at little or no cost. To get the most benefit from smoke alarms:

• Install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year.  Some people recommend changing your batteries in the spring when you set your clocks for daylight savings time.
• If you keep the door of your baby’s bedroom closed, keep a working smoke alarm in the room and use a baby monitor so you can hear if the alarm sounds.

When your children are old enough, familiarize them with the sound of the smoke alarm. Teach them that when one goes off, they must leave the home and go outside to the designated family meeting spot.