National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 7-13
News Release: October 5, 2007
Contact: Janice Osborne, Director-Communications and Marketing; American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley (610) 865-4400, ext. 262; pager (610) 508-4378

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley urges families to prepare for and prevent a home fire during National Fire Prevention Week — Practice Your Escape Plan, October 7-13. Nationally, the number of home fires the Red Cross responds to is up 10 percent since the year 2000. Alarmingly, only 26 percent of families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan, according to a May 2006 poll conducted by ORC International on behalf of the Red Cross.

“Last year the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley responded to 127 home fires in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties,” said John Hughes, executive director. “Preventing a home fire doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment or training, and Fire Prevention Week is a great time to get started.

“In addition to having working smoke alarms, one of the easiest ways you can prepare is to develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that every family member can escape quickly and safely,” continued Hughes. “A home fire escape plan includes at least two escape routes for every room in the home, and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance from a fire.”

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley offers the following recommendations regarding fire escape plans:

• Family plans should include two ways to escape from every room in the home.

• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.

• Select a safe location away from the home where your family can meet after escaping.

• Consider purchasing and storing escape ladders for rooms above ground level and practice using them.

• 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.

• Before escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second escape route.

• If smoke, heat or flames block both of your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Place a rolled towel underneath the door. Signal for help by waving a brightly colored cloth or shining a flashlight at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and let them know your exact location inside the home.

• Once you’ve escaped your home, stay out.

Your local Red Cross depends on the generous support of greater Lehigh Valley residents to respond to our neighbors who are affected by home fires. You can help the Red Cross be ready to respond and help fire victims by making a financial contribution to the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley today. Contributions are accepted by mail, phone or Internet. Checks may be made payable and sent to the chapter at 2200 Avenue A, Bethlehem, PA 18017; credit card donations may be made by calling (610) 865-4400 or by visiting www.redcrosslv.org.

For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/homefires or www.redcrosslv.org.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 680,000 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.