FIRE PROTECTION MUST BE A DAILY HABIT TO PAY OFF

Once each year, fire chiefs across the nation promote Fire Prevention Week. But their biggest message is sometimes lost on the general public: Effective fire safety must be a daily habit.

Too often, families don't think about fire protection until their house or a neighbor's is engulfed in flames. And that could be a fatal mistake.

At the top of the list is smoke detectors. Every home and business should be protected by smoke detectors. The majority of fatal home fires occurs at night while people are sleeping. Most fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, not flames. A smoke detector can provide precious seconds of warning. It's one of the cheapest forms of life insurance available.

We applaud the work of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and such civic clubs as Zonta and Bell Telephone Company Pioneers that have worked to install hundreds of smoke detectors in the city. Since 1987, more than 800 smoke detectors have been installed in residences at no charge.

If you have smoke detectors, Fire Prevention Week is a good time to check the batteries. A detector with dead batteries is no better than none at all.

Secondly, families should plan their method of escape in case of fire. Children should be an integral part of this plan. It's also important to designate a meeting place outside the home to ensure everyone is safe.

The cost of fires is devastating both in terms of life and property.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that 5,195 people lost their lives in fires last year. A fire kills someone in the U.S. every 100 minutes.

We give considerable attention to natural disasters, which strike our nation each year. But consider this: Fire kills more Americans every year than all other natural disasters combined, including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.

In terms of property lost, the costs are also steep. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates the total cost of fires to the American public runs about $30 billion annually.

These statistics reinforce the fact that fire prevention can't be just a weeklong effort.

Local firefighters perform an admirable job, keeping young and old informed about fire safety. Fire prevention, they say, is much safer and cheaper than fighting fires. It's a point well taken.

Fire usually catches people by surprise. That's why it's so important to have a plan of action. Fire safety works best when it's a daily habit. The costs in terms of property and human life are just too high to ignore.