Economics, shared home responsibilities, and support caring for families members make multigenerational living an inviting option. Simple steps will help increase safety for multigenerational families.
- Make sure your home has smoke alarms. You need a smoke alarm on every level, inside each sleeping room, and outside each separate sleeping area. Interconnect the alarms so when one sounds, they all sound.
- Test your alarms at least once a month. Press each test button to make sure it is working.
- Plan your home escape. Share the plan with everyone in the family and guests.
- Smoke alarms may not wake up children. Older adults may not hear the smoke alarm. Assign someone to help children, older adults and people with disabilities escape.
- Make sure your home has bright lighting in stairways to prevent falls.
- Remove clutter to prevent trips and falls and allow for a quick escape.
- Install handrails along the full length of both sides of the stairs.
- The plan should include two ways out of every room and an outside family meeting place.
- If there is a fire, get outside quickly and stay outside. Then call 9-1-1.
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Use the following resources from the NFPA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to reach out to multigenerational families living together in your community.
Talking about fire safety for multigenerational families living together
- Lesson plan – 10-minute lesson plan (PDF) for adults living in a home with residents representing at least three generations.
- Fire safety for multigenerational families living together safety tip sheet. (PDF)
- Fast facts (PDF) about fires and falls in the home.
Customize these resources and work with local media to help spread the word about fire safety