“Remembering to change the batteries in your smoke alarms, testing your smoke alarms, planning two ways out and practicing escape routes with the entire family is critical to surviving a home fire,” state Fire Marshal Charles Duffy said.

Smoke alarms most often fail because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries so maintenance is a simple, effective way to protect your family and reduce home fire deaths. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Warnings from smoke alarms can provide those critical extra seconds people need to get out of their homes safely.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office offers the following tips for making your home fire escape plan:

• Make a map of your home. Mark a door and a window that can be used to get out of every room.
• Choose a meeting place outside in front of your home. This is where everyone can meet once they’ve escaped. Draw a picture of your outside meeting place on your escape plan.
• Write the emergency telephone number for the fire department on your escape plan.
• Keep your escape plan on the refrigerator. Practice your escape plan with everyone living in your home twice a year.