VALDOSTA – Lowndes County Fire Rescue is teaming up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.”

The 2022 campaign, Oct. 9-15, works “to educate everyone about simple but important steps they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe,” organizers said in a statement.

Lowndes County Fire Rescue and local State Farm agent Travis Pate encourage all residents to actively support the Fire Prevention Week campaign by developing and practicing a home escape plan with all members of their household.

Pate recently donated a Fire Prevention Week kit to the fire department which includes activities and information for children and adults, providing age-appropriate messages about home fire safety and prevention, organizers said.

Lowndes County Fire Rescue shared safety tips to participate in Fire Prevention Week campaign and its focus on home escape planning and practice:

– Make sure a home escape plan meets the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

– Smoke alarms should be installed inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.

– Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.

– Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from the home where everyone should meet.

Practice home fire drills at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests, organizers said. Practice at least once during the day and at night.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,” visit www.fpw.org.

“Today’s homes burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as two minutes – or even less time – to safely escape from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out depends on early warning from working smoke alarms and advance planning,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of the Outreach and Advocacy division at NFPA.

“Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. Fire presents real risk to all of us, making it important for every member of the community to take these messages seriously and put them into action,” Pate said.