Make sure you have working smoke detectors on every floor of your home and near every sleeping area and test them monthly. You should also install Carbon Monoxide detectors on every floor of your home. Have your chimney cleaned before lighting your furnace, stove or fireplace. If you don't have a fire extinguisher get one. Make sure it is properly charged and easily accessible and that everyone in your household knows how to use it.

Teach your kids how to call 911 and about smoke detectors and what to do if they hear one. Hold a fire drill so they know how to get out of the house and where to go in an Emergency.

A smoke detector doubles your chances of surviving a house fire but only if it works. Home fire fatalities occur most often between 11PM and 7AM when most people are asleep and the house is dark. Smoke alarms should be replaced at least every 10 years. About 700 people in the United States die each year from unintentional non fire carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon Monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, weakness, dizziness and nausea. A CO detector can tell you when dangerous levels of the gas are present. Candles used for light in the absence of electrical power cause one third of fatal house fires. Candles are the third leading cause of injuries from house fires following cooking and heating. When your power goes off use flashlights instead of candles.