Surviving A Fire: Are You Prepared?

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Fargo Firefighters will spend time with some students this week, teaching them important fire safety tips.

But with a recent number of fires, it’s not just your kids who should be listening.

It was only one object that saved the lives of the Farok family this morning, a working smoke alarm.

“Many people have a smoke alarm but haven’t checked the battery in years,” says Fargo Fire Marshall Ryan Erickson. 

It can be easy to cast aside the importance of fire safety, so the Fargo Fire Department wants to get families talking and what better way than to start with the kids.

“And during fire prevention week kids aren’t just learning safety tips, they’re learning exactly what it takes to fight a fire.”

“There’s things that may not be talked about at home, so we bring it up to them and they can bring that conversation home to make sure where they live and sleep is safe,” says Erickson. 

And it’s not just working smoke alarms that will save you, but knowing how to get out.

“You should have a plan with your family and then practice that plan, so young children will know I need to get outside and meet on the driveway, or whatever your plan is,” says Erickson

Something that Nancy Fix-Shelton of Fargo has already done.

“We practiced like how to get off the roof once you’re on the roof. Is the roof the safest place, where’s the fire from. How to feel the doors,” says Fix-Shelton.

After all, it could save a life.

Erickson suggests having a smoke alarm and two exits in every bedroom.

If one is a window, determine how to best get out.