Prepare and Plan for Multi-Family Fire Safety

"It's important for people living in two or three-family homes, or in apartments and condos, to have a good sense of their building's layout and to regularly practice how they would safely evacuate in a fire or other emergency," says Cordelia E. Miller, director of emergency services at the Greater Lehigh Valley Red Cross. "Preparing and planning ahead of any potential problem can make all the difference during a fast moving blaze."

Prepare and Plan

• Determine at least two ways to escape from every room of your home.
• Make sure everyone in the family knows where stairways or stairwells are.
• Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floor. Learn how to use them and store them near the window.
• Keep your smoke detector in working order and check the batteries regularly.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy, preferably in the kitchen.
• Keep your cell phone with you so that it's always accessible.
• Select a location outside your home where everyone should meet after escaping.
• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.

Know How to Escape Safely

• If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to your exit.
• If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second way out.
• Check stairwells for safety to use in leaving the building.
• Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from there.
• If smoke, heat, or flames end up blocking your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Signal for help using a bright-colored cloth at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them where you are.

For more valuable information on fire safety, contact the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley at (610) 865-4400, or visit www.redcrosslv.org or www.redcross.org.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training; Lifeline, a personal response service for seniors; and emergency relief to more than 23,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents. For more information about the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley or volunteer opportunities, call (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.