COVINGTON, KY – The Covington Fire Department is working in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), to reinforce potentially life-saving messages during Fire Prevention Week, October 8-14, 2017. NFPA is the official sponsor of the Fire Prevention Week.

This year’s theme, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” works to better educate the public about the critical importance of developing a home escape plan and practicing it.

In case of a fire emergency, the Covington Fire Department encourages all Covington households to develop a home escape plan together and practice it.

A home escape plan includes having working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. It also includes two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window, with a clear path to an outside meeting place that’s a safe distance from the home.

The Covington Fire Department stated, “Developing and practicing a home escape plan is like building muscle memory. That pre-planning is what everyone will draw upon to snap into action and escape as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.”

The Covington Fire Department and NFPA offer these additional tips and recommendations for developing and practicing a home escape plan:

• Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

To learn more about this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out” and home escape planning, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.