Do you have an evacuation plan to get your family out of your home safely, in the event a fire breaks out?
Do you have a special place picked out - not too far from the house, but far enough for assured safety - where everyone will meet, so you can count fingers and toes and be assured everyone is accounted for?
Is your home equipped with working smoke alarms, so your family knows when to high-tail it outside to your "safe spot?"
Have you checked the batteries lately? Have you pushed that "test" button, to make sure the alarm really is in working order?
How about a few fire extinguishers in strategic places, especially the kitchen, and probably the garage, for instance? Do you know that they aren't past their "best before" date? A fire extinguisher that won't operate when the chips are down is even worse than not having one at all.
In any case, the most important thing to do when a fire breaks out in your home is to get out - together.
This week is Fire Prevention Week across Canada. First observed in this country in 1919, it falls early every October, near the anniversary of one of the deadliest and most destructive fires ever in North America - the 1871 Chicago Fire.
But the week is intended to draw attention to a fire that is potentially even worse than that fire of 140 years ago: the one that could happen in your own home, and decimate your own family, if you're not prepared.
In fact, most fire-related injuries and deaths are caused by residential fires. Getting ready - with a family plan - could be a life-and-death decision.
