Many adults in the United States rated having a fire in their home to be the greatest potential disaster that they and their family could face.  The results of a recent survey jointly conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and the International Association of Fire Fighters, demonstrates that many adults are woefully ignorant of the simple things they can do to protect the family and their home.   The study of 1000 adults in the United States found that a high percentage of the respondents engaged in risky behavior, e.g., leaving burning candles unattended, did not understand the hazards of space heaters, e.g., portable electric or kerosene heaters, and were not educating and preparing their children to recognize a fire and get out of the house.

Want to hear more?  Eighty-four percent don’t talk to their children about the number one threat to the premature end of their children’s life!  Seven out of ten respondents to the survey said that their children are not prepared to escape and survive a fire.  Yet children are one of largest populations that suffer the adverse affects of fires: 15-20% of fire-related deaths involve children and a child under the age of five has double the potential to become a fire victim as does the rest of the population in the U.S.

If you are truly concerned as a parent about the good and welfare of your children, teach them how not to become a fire victim.  Yes, I appreciate that there are a number of hazards facing children that you have to be concerned about, yet statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that fire-related deaths are the #3 cause of avoidable death amongst children under the age of four, surpassed only the motor vehicle crashes (#1) and drowning (#2).

Consider for a moment, another “angle” on why you should prepare you and your entire family with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to avoid becoming a victim of fire: the loss of your home.  In today’s economic climate can you really afford to lose your home—your family’s largest financial investment—in a fire?  What kind of life would you have if you lost your home tomorrow?

Check out the links on my menu on the right side of this page for excellent sources of information and educational websites to help you prepare your children for a long and happy life unaffected by the ravages of fire.  Do it today so that you and your family have a tomorrow.