SAFETY : Fight Fire With a Home Readiness Plan

Planning and practicing a home emergency fire prevention and escape plan can save your life, because most deaths from fire happen in the home when victims are sleeping, according to the National Fire Protection Assn.

Statistics show that 78% of deaths from fire occur in the home, and most of these fatal fires occur between 2 and 4 a.m., the nonprofit organization said.

To create your personal escape plan, fire officials say:

* Install smoke detectors on every level, outside the bedroom, near the kitchen and garage. Keep them clean and dust-free. Check batteries and smoke sensors monthly. (Some fire departments say weekly.) Replace batteries yearly and detectors every 10 years.

* Draw a floor plan of all levels of your home with normal and emergency exits, including two exits from each bedroom. Designate a safe meeting place outside and someone to call 911 from a neighbor’s home or to rescue small children from outside the building if inside entrances are blocked.

* Practice the plan, including crawling out with eyes closed (heavy smoke impairs breathing and sight; staying close to the floor increases chances of escape). If need, practice using escape ladders.

* Small children unable to escape can learn to open their windows and wave an article of clothing to attract attention. Instruct them to wait at the window until someone comes and never hide from the fire. Discuss with a fire marshal whether an escape ladder would be appropriate.

* Sleep with doors closed. If children are frightened, parents can close doors after the children fall asleep and use a room monitor to hear them in the night.

* If awakened by a smoke detector or a fire, instruct family members to feel the door for heat and check air at bottom. If you don’t smell smoke and the air is cool, kneel and open the door slowly, turning your face away from the opening. If smoke is present or the door is hot, use another exit.

* Purchase an A-B-C-rated fire extinguisher and learn how to use it by remembering the word PASS. Pull the pin, Aim the extinguisher, Squeeze or press the handle, Sweep side to side at the base of the fire. (The rating is based on the fire. A is a wood or paper fire; B is caused by flammable liquids, C is an electrical fire.)

Educators warn parents not to frighten children about fires. Reassure them that emergency planning is a way of being prepared and does not mean a fire will occur.