FIRE PREVENTION TAKES A 52-WEEK-A-YEAR COMMITMENT

Each year in October, a week is set aside to stress the importance of fire prevention. Yet each year, 65,000 people, including 12,600 children ages 14 and under, are killed or injured in 2.6 million residential fires in the United States. Those numbers are alarmingly high. Home fires and the tragedies they bring can be prevented, but homeowners must put forth the effort and time to do so.

This week is Fire Prevention Week, a time to concentrate on making sure your home is as safe as possible against fire and that you and your family are prepared for a fire should one occur.

Here are some tips from the experts:

Your first line of defense in a home fire is a working smoke detector. Ninety percent of childhood fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors. If you don't have them, install detectors on every level of your home, inside each bedroom and in the bedroom hallways.

Detectors should be tested and vacuumed once a month and batteries replaced at least once a year. And if the detectors are 10 years old, they should be replaced.

Place a fire extinguisher on every level of the house and in every room where fire hazards could occur. Test the extinguishers regularly to keep them in working order. An extinguisher can prevent a small fire from getting out of control.

Remove any debris such as newspapers, magazines and clothing that are near heat sources like furnaces, water heaters, radiators and fireplaces. Those items don't need to be touching the heat source to catch fire; the heat may be enough to ignite them.

Have enough electrical outlets and proper extension cords. Overloading a socket could make it overheat and cause a fire. Don't run electrical cords under rugs; fasten them along the walls with proper fasteners. Cords under rugs can unravel or fray causing sparks, and a single spark can cause a fire. Check cords on all appliances to be sure they are not frayed or cut.

Fasten portable heaters to the floor; if tipped over they can start a fire. Do not store gas or flammable liquids inside the home.

Keep doors and windows free of clutter and in good working condition for easy access and opening in case you need to escape.

Establish and practice an escape plan. Know two ways to safety from every room in the house, especially bedrooms. Designate family members to help infants or immobile people to safety. Most fatal fires happen at night, so practice fire drills when it's dark. Do not try to gather everyone into a group to escape.

When escaping crawl on the floor. Since smoke and heat rise, there is more oxygen and less heat close to the floor.

Before opening a door to escape, feel it to make sure it's not hot. If it is, use the alternate exit. If the door is cool and you escape through it, be certain to close it; closing the door could save you and other family members still in the house. Meet at a prearranged spot outside the house.

A home can be consumed in flames in less than five minutes from the start of a fire. Experts say you only have about two minutes to escape.

Take advantage of Fire Prevention Week by doing yourself and your family members a favor and make certain your home is as fire-proof as possible and that everyone is prepared in the event of a fire.

And remember: fire prevention demands a 52-week-a-year commitment.