Families need to think about fire safetyPublished 12:28am
Monday, October 8, 2012 If you woke up to a fire in your home,
how much time do you think you would have to get to safety?
According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association,
one-third of American households that made an estimate thought
they would have at least six minutes before a fire in their home
would become life-threatening. Unfortunately, the time available
is often less. That’s why the Natchez Fire Department is teaming
up with NFPA during Fire Prevention Week, this week, to urge
residents to “Have Two Ways Out!” This year’s team focuses on
the importance of fire escape planning and practice. In 2010,
U.S. fire departments responded to 369,500 home structure fires.
These fires caused 13,350 civilian injuries, 2,640 civilian
deaths and $6.9 billion in direct damage. One home structure was
reported every 85 seconds in 2010. Fire is unpredictable and
moves faster than most people realize. Having a tried and true
escape plan with two