In an average house fire you may have less than one minute to escape before it’s too late.
That’s why this year’s fire prevention week campaign theme is: “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”
Everyone can be a hero. Most of us think of heroes as people who comes to the aid of others even at personal risk. But heroes can also be someone who takes small and important actions to keep themselves and those around them safe.
That’s why we want you to be a hero by planning an escape route for your family in case of fire. It’s important now more than ever. Due to all the synthetic fabrics and materials in our modern-day homes burn much faster than products made 30 years ago. So, the time it takes to get out has dropped drastically.
The cool part is that making a home escape plan is easy! You need to identify at least two ways out of every room of the house. Then, you will need to find a meeting place outside that is out of the way of firefighters and make sure everyone goes to that spot. 
It could be a neighbors’ porch, a mailbox, or a tree. Just make sure everyone in the house knows to go to that spot. That way, when we know all the people are safe, we can focus our efforts on stopping the fire! And as always, don’t go back in! If you’d like more tips, go to the National Fire Prevention Association.
Clark County Fire District 6 takes Fire Prevention Week and stretches it into Fire Prevention Month. Before the month is over we will see every kindergarten student in the eight Vancouver Schools in our District. We play the “What’s Hot What’s Not” game, squirt the fire hose, and send the kiddos home with their own red fire helmets and sticker badges! If you’d like more information on our fire safety and prevention programs contact our Public Education Coordinator, Dave Schmitke.