To prevent falls, start outside your home and work your way inside.

• Repair uneven pavement and cracked sidewalks outside your home that could cause a fall.
• Be sure walkways and stairways are well lit and without glare or shadows.
• Replace worn treads and loose carpeting on stairs.
• Always use the handrail.
• Block flights of stairs, doorways and any other place where your child could fall.
• Put a safety gate across the top of stairways.
• Take your baby with you if you must reach for anything which prevents you from keeping at least one protective hand on him.
• To prevent a child from falling through or becoming stuck between posts in a railing, install strong mesh between the posts of a railing and be sure the posts are vertical to prevent your child from climbing.

To prevent falls in the nursery:
• Follow crib manufacturer instructions closely.
• Keep crib's side rail in up position.
• Keep the mattress at lowest level before your baby can sit up.
• Keep fluffy toys, bumpers, pillows out of the crib to prevent the baby from climbing out of the crib.
• Always use the safety strap when baby is on the changing table.
• Discontinue using the changing table when the baby becomes active (rolling, pulling up, pushing up, standing, etc.).

For more information, visit Baby Everywhere.

TBD

If a fire breaks out, determine the best way out through a ground floor door or window.

Firefighters recommend following three rules when moving through a burning building:

• Touch test all doors for heat before opening them.
• Close doors and windows.
• Stay low.

Make a Fire Escape Plan for Your Home:

• Make the floor plan of your home with at least two exits from each room.
• Work in pencil on graph paper and then darken the lines and draw the arrows in red.
• Indicate the doors and window and draw an arrow to the exits.
• Hang the plan where everyone can see it like on the refrigerator, basement or garage door.
• Practice how you would leave your home, including how to carry children to safety if a fire broke out.

Visit Baby Everywhere for products containing advice from firefighters and other professionals on how to prevent and handle emergencies.

Smoke detectors give your family a 50% advantage by having least one smoke detector on every floor, including the basement.

To prepare your family and prevent fires, follow the instructions firefighters teach their own families:

• Never disconnect smoke detectors, as you may forget to turn them back on.
• Change batteries in your smoke alarms during daylight savings time (spring and fall) when you change clocks.
• Test detectors every month when you pay the phone bill.
• Buy a multi-purpose fire extinguisher for every level of your home, in case of small fires.
• If there are smokers in your home, check for ashes behind cushions every night before you go to bed. Fabric under a bed, couch or easy chair could smolder and suddenly catch fire.
• Vent the dryer outside and connect it on its own outlet. Clean the dryer's lint filter after each load.
• Replace worn, damaged and fraying electrical cords that can cause a fire.
• Don’t overload electrical extension cords. Use extension cords only when necessary.
• Unplug irons, toasters, and space heaters after each use – they hold heat even after they are turned off.

  For information on what do if there is fire and to create a fire escape plan, visit www.babyeverywhere.com.