Home Fire Drill
Family,  Featured

Make Safe Happen on October 14th With a Home Fire Drill

I’m partnering with Nationwide for their Make Safe Happen program to drive awareness of and participation in Home Fire Drill Day on October 14th, 2017. All opinions are my own.

Home Fire Drill

Are you familiar with the Make Safe Happen program by Nationwide? Make Safe Happen is a program that’s dedicated to reducing accidental injury among children in and around the home. Accidental injury is the leading cause of death of children between the ages of 0-12. It would make sense for Nationwide to usher in such a program as they’ve been a champion of child safety and wellbeing for over 90 years.

In 2015, they launched the Make Safe Happen program to empower parents and caregivers by providing tools and resources to make homes safer. This year, they’re collaborating with other safety organizations to focus on educating caregivers on four critical areas: safe nursery, safety on wheels, water safety and home fires are those areas. Safety risks in those areas have the potential to lead to serious, complex and potentially fatal issues. With that said, my focus will be about fire safety as we have so many home fires.

On October 14th, Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen will celebrate the 2nd annual Home Fire Drill Day. Make Safe Happen partners with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the American Red Cross (ARC) along with other Make Safe Happen Advisory Council members. It is very important to practice home fire drills with your family to ensure everyone is protected in case of a house fire.

Encourage family members, neighbors or friends to get involved because we want our kids to be safe just in case a fire was to break out. During that day, you can make it fun as you don’t want to frighten little kids to the point they’re living in fear of a fire. You can visit HomeFireDrillDay.com for tips and creating a fire escape plan, as well as ideas to make practicing a little more fun.

Why You Should Participate in a Home Fire Drill

In a survey, Nationwide found that about 47 percent of parents surveyed have created a fire escape plan with their children and I’m one of those who haven’t. Trust me, it’s not that I don’t care, but it’s something we have talked about. I’ve downloaded the Make Safe Happen app and have discussed what to do with my kids if a fire were to break out. It’s a conversation you don’t really want to have, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Home fires are the biggest threat facing American families today. A staggering 55 percent of the children know what to do in the event of a house fire and that number should be higher. Nine in 10 structure fires occur in the home and more than 8 in 10 fire-related result from home fires. At work, we’ve practiced fire drills and kids also do it at school, but they spend most of their time home so they should have a plan there, too.

Make the Pledge

With the fall season upon us, now it’s the perfect time to pledge that you’ll participate in Home Fire Drill Day on October 14th. Fall and winter are the seasonal times that home fires occur the most, so please take this seriously. I’ve had a couple of family members who have passed away from fires, and a home fire about four miles from my house made the news. With all the crazy weather occurring all over the world, the best thing you can do is be prepared. Head to the HomeFireDrillDay.com for step-by-step instructions, informative resources and make the pledge.

We all have smartphones nowadays, so just download the free Make Safe Happen app for iPhone and Android. With the app, you can test your family’s evacuation plan on a timer, get tips for smoke alarms and safety tips for each room.

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