Focusing on Fire Safety

If you haven't done so already, this is a good time to make an escape plan for your home. Decide on two exits from each room, including windows and doors. Here are other tips on home fire safety from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Rehearse your escape plan so that everyone in the family is familiar with it. Any window designated as an escape route should open easily.

• You should have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home. Check the batteries once a month and replace them once a year.

• Choose a meeting place for your family a safe distance from your home. This is where everyone will gather after getting out of the house. The meeting place could be a neighbor's house, but also a mailbox or stop sign.

• Is your house number clearly visible from the road? If it isn't, paint the number on the curb or put up house numbers that emergency responders can see.