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Install a smoke alarm on
every level of your home. Test smoke alarm batteries every
month and change them at least once a year. Consider
installing a one-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is
sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened. If you
cannot afford a fire alarm, the Peru Fire Department will provide
you with one free of charge.
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Keep matches, lighters and other ignitables in a secured drawer or
cabinet out of the reach of children.
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Teach your children to tell you when they find matches and lighters.
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Always dress children in pajamas that meet federal flammability
standards. Avoid dressing children for sleep in loose-fitting,
100% cotton garments, such as oversized T-shirts.
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Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly
and call for help from another location.
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Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get
out of the house and stay away.
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Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground and roll if clothes
catch fire.
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Develop and practice a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting
place outside. Get out and stay out.
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Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm.
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Replace mattresses made prior to the 1973 Federal Mattress
Flammability Standard.
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Check under beds and in closets for burnt matches, evidence your
child may be playing with fire.
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For more fire safety information for young children, visit
www.usfaparents.gov.