For Parents
The Center of Every Family
Let's collaborate and make your family safer!
Dear Parents (and guardians):
Thank you for taking the time to check out the California Fire Prevention website, and this page specifically. We’re here to help you create a more resilient and safer family environment. On this page, you’ll find various resources to help you protect yourselves, your children, your relatives (if they live with you), and your pets, too!
There are a few things you should know as a starting point – and if your kids haven’t already told you, a family escape plan is an absolute must!
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
We send your children home with a California Fire Prevention Organization Family Escape Plan grid.
Download the Escape Plan PDF (English and Spanish)
You can use it to draw a map of your home. It’s also available in our Parents’ Resource Center, linked below.
Using the grid:
- Make a Map of Your Home
- Identify Two Ways Out
Identify two ways out of your home, or two ways out of your building if you live in a multi-family structure, and two ways out of each person’s sleeping area. - Choose A Safe Meeting Place
Choose a safe meeting place anywhere outside, that’s far enough away from your home, and stationary. This is where everyone will meet once they escape from your home if it’s on fire. - Practice
Set up a schedule to practice your family escape plan. Practice makes perfect, and practice makes permanent!
There is no more effective safety tool in your home than a working smoke alarm! We tell your kids that. You should SHOW them that.
Do You Have Enough?
Make sure you have a smoke alarm inside and outside every area where someone sleeps. Make sure you have at least one alarm on every floor of your home.
Check the Batteries
A smoke alarm is only good if the batteries inside are working! Check the batteries once a month by pressing the test button on the alarm and waiting for the test beep. Change the batteries in your alarms every six months, when you turn the clocks forward and back for Daylight Savings Time.
How Old Are Your Alarms
Check the date on the back of your alarms. If they’re older than ten years, it’s time to replace them. If you can’t afford new alarms, visit our sister site, MySmokeAlarm.org and request new alarms. We’ll even come to your house an install them!
Every family should have an emergency kit in case a disaster like an earthquake or fire strikes, and you have to evacuate your home.
Fill Your Kit With Emergency Supplies
For a complete list of recommended supplies, visit What To Keep Under Your Bed
Check Your Kit Twice a Year
Make sure food and water are still good and batteries are still charged.
Keep Your Kit Handy
You’ll need access to your kit if a disaster strikes. Keep it nearby – perhaps under your bed, or near your primary escape route.
All aspects of our programs are available 24/7 to you for review at our Parents’ Resource Center. We know that you’re the primary teacher in your child’s life, so we want you to feel free to look through our curriculum, download all the materials you want, and share them with you family and community.
Remember, we’re always ready to provide support wherever we can. Feel free to contact us at info@calfireprevention.org
