Prepare your family in case of a fire

June is National Safety Month and at the Arnold Insurance Agency, we take your safety very seriously. This week's theme is Emergency Preparedness and the importance of creating a home emergency plan for you and your family. Here are some helpful safety tips to help your home be prepared in case of a fire:

Install the right number of smoke alarms. Test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year.
Teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home and know the family meeting spot outside of your home.
Establish a family emergency communications plan and ensure that all household members know who to contact if they cannot find one another.
Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year. Press the smoke alarm test button or yell “Fire“ to alert everyone that they must get out.
Make sure everyone knows how to call 9-1-1.
Teach household members to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.

It's very easy to panic during an emergency; being mentally and physically prepared may help to minimize that feeling of panic and enable you to keep your family calm. An emergency preparedness plan should include a disaster supply kit, as well as any emergency essentials. Emergency preparedness supplies should also be arranged and easily accessible. For additional information on best practices for an emergency escape plan visit https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan