OFFICE OF THE Fauquier County Department of Fire, Rescue and

Emergency Management
FIRE MARSHAL Fire Marshal Office
62 Culpeper Street
Warrenton, VA 20186
Main Office (540) 422-8800
www.fauquierfirerescue.org

Press Release
Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Russell Baker, Fire Marshal October 9, 2019
540-422-8823

October is Fire Prevention Month.

The Fauquier County Fire Marshal’s Office reminds residents:
Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape! ™

Warrenton, VA – October is Fire Prevention Month and October 6th through October 12th is Fire Prevention
Week. This year’s theme is “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”
NFPA statistics show that in 2017 U.S. fire departments responded to 357,000 home structure fires. These
fires caused 2,630 fire deaths and 10,600 fire injuries. On average, seven people died in a fire in a home
per day during 2012 to 2016.

In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the
smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have,
giving everyone enough time to get out. With more and more houses being built using lightweight
construction, furnishings made of synthetic fibers and large open spaces, fire can move very quickly.
Situational awareness is a key factor in removing yourself and others from an emergency situation
especially escaping a house fire. Remember, get out and stay out.

The Fauquier County Fire Marshal’s Office stresses that although October is Fire Prevention Month, we
should always practice fire prevention, fire safety and home escape plans. This is a great time to educate,
prepare, and practice so that everyone in your home knows what to do in the event of a fire.

Preparedness starts with you. This is your chance to be a hero. You must be ready in an emergency and
help others be ready also. Home escape plans should be simple, quick and easy to remember. A home
escape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home and near, or inside, every sleeping
area. If you do not have working smoke alarms, need additional smoke alarms or need to replace the
batteries, please call (540) 422-8800 or visit www.fauquierfirerescue.org today and request your smoke
alarm needs.

Make sure that your plan includes two ways out of every room, typically a door or a window and a clear
path to an outside meeting place that is a safe distance from the home and familiar to all occupants of your
home. Make sure that everyone knows how to call for help. Practice your plan at least twice a year along
with checking your smoke alarms every month. Use the provided Fire Escape Checklist to help protect
your loved ones. For additional information on this and other fire prevention related topics, join us on
October 15th at Bealeton Village Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for an evening of fun, education, food and
community interaction.

Fauquier County Fire and Rescue Companies will be hosting a series of events in support of this year’s
Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”. Call
your local volunteer fire company or visit them online to find an event near you.
 ✓Fire Escape Checklist

❒ Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

❒ Is there a smoke alarm in every sleeping room and outside each sleeping area?

❒ Is there a smoke alarm on each level of the home, including the basement?

❒ Do you test your smoke alarms at least once a month?

(Have a grown-up push the test button to check if the batteries work.)

❒ Do you know the sound of your smoke alarms?

❒ How old are your smoke alarms? (If they are more than 10 years old, you need new ones.)

❒ Does your family have a home fire escape plan?

❒ Do you know two ways out of each room in your home?

❒ Do you know what to do when you hear your smoke alarm? (Get out and stay out.)

❒ Are all the exits in your home clear of trash and toys?

❒ Has your family picked a meeting place outside the home where everyone can go when they have
escaped a fire?

❒ Does everyone at home know how to call the fire department once they are outside?

❒ Do you and all family members practice your escape plan?

 ✓ Lista de verificación de escape de incendios
❒ ¿Tiene alarmas de humo en funcionamiento en su hogar?

❒ ¿Hay una alarma de humo en todos los dormitorios y afuera de cada uno?

❒ ¿Hay una alarma de humo en todos los pisos de la casa, incluido el sótano?

❒ ¿Prueba sus alarmas de humo al menos una vez al mes? (Tienen un pulsador de prueba para vericar si
las pilas funcionan).

❒ ¿Conoce el sonido de sus alarmas de humo?

❒ ¿Cuánto tiempo tienen sus alarmas de humo? (Si tienen más de 10 años, debe cambiarlas por alarmas
nuevas).

❒ ¿Su familia tiene un plan de escape del hogar en caso de incendio?

❒ ¿Conoce dos maneras de salir de todas las habitaciones de su hogar?

❒ ¿Sabe qué hacer cuando escucha su alarma de

humo? (Salir y permanecer afuera).

❒ ¿Todas las salidas de su hogar están libres de basura y juguetes?

❒ ¿Su familia eligió un lugar de encuentro fuera del hogar al que todos puedan ir cuando hayan escapado
de un incendio?

❒ ¿Todos en la casa saben cómo llamar a los bomberos una vez que estén afuera?

❒ ¿Usted y todos los miembros de su familia practican su plan de escape al menos dos veces al año?