Keep your pets fire safe this National Pet Day
April 11 marks #nationalpetday, and this week on social media people are posting pictures of their beloved animals like my Bubba, age 4, pictured here. People often ask about how to include their pets, especially the four-legged ones, as part of their home fire safety plan.
The 2020 edition of the NFPA Educational Messages for Fire & Life Safety Desk Reference contains a new Pet Fire Safety chapter featuring key educational messages for use in fire and life safety (FLS) education. Many of those messages can be found in NFPA’s Pet Fire Safety Tip Sheet, available as a free download with the ability to co-brand for use in FLS education efforts. One key tip to keep your pets safe from fire is by keeping them (and kids!) three feet (1 meter) from stoves/ovens, firepits, and heating appliances. Pets and candles certainly don’t mix, with battery operated flameless candles a much safer option to prevent burns and home fires from.
Pets can also be included in home wildfire preparedness plans by building an evacuation kit for each pet in the household and practicing that plan. NFPA’s Pet Wildfire Evacuation Video provides practical tips to prepare pets of all shapes and sizes for evacuation.
What to do with pets when planning and practicing Home Fire Escape is a common question. Today’s home fires burn hotter and faster than ever, giving occupants as little as two minutes to get out safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. It is of critical importance that all people in the home have a plan for safe escape which includes an outside meeting place. People should not take extra time to search for animals in the home when trying to escape and should never go back into a fire to try and rescue a pet. Instead let firefighters know if there are any animals still inside.
Show your pet some extra love by protecting them from fire and burns this National Pet Day and every day.
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