Fire Prevention Week is October 8-14, and the Salina Fire Department is working in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association  to better educate the public about the critical importance of developing and practicing a home escape plan by reinforcing this year’s theme “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!”

In support of Fire Prevention Week, the City of Salina Fire Department encourages all Salina households to develop a plan and then practice it together. A home escape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. It also includes two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window, with a clear path to an outside meeting place (like a tree, light pole, or mailbox) that’s a safe distance from the home.

NFPA and the Salina Fire Department offer these additional tips and recommendations for developing and practicing a home escape plan:

• Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

Planned activities during the week include: sharing educational information via City of Salina social media outlets and partnering with Domino’s Pizza on Saturday, October 14 to increase citizen awareness. .

To learn more about this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out” and home escape planning, visit firepreventionweek.org. For more information about fire safety, call Troy Long, Fire Marshal, at (785) 826-7340.