During National Fire Prevention Week, Brush up on Fire Safety Basics

National Fire Prevention Week takes place during the month of October, and MetLife Auto & Home reminds consumers to check their fire safety knowledge with a brief quiz:

As pictured, Sheri Lee, owner (middle) and Portia St. Laurent, Personal Lines Manager (right) from Kraft and Lee Insurance Agency partner with MetLife Auto & Home to present Paul Pumarejo, Fire Apparatus Engineer of the Madera County Fire Department (left) with a gift of 500 fire safety coloring and activity books. The books help teach fire safety techniques through the use of the popular PEANUTS characters. To obtain a free copy, call 1-800-608-0190. (Photo: Business Wire)

Do you prepare and practice a home escape plan?
Do you have working smoke detectors installed in your home?
Do you change the batteries in your smoke detectors every six months?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you’re not alone. According to the Insurance Information Network of California (IINC), there were over 5,800 fires in the state of California in 2008, resulting in $1.4 billion in direct property damage. The National Fire Protection Association reports that each year more than 2,700 people die as a result of home fires and burns, and that fire departments in America are responding to home fires every 82 seconds. Many of these fires—and fatalities—could have been prevented, had the basics of fire prevention been observed.

“These three questions are the most important when it comes to fire safety,” said Mike Convery, Chief Claim Officer at MetLife Auto & Home. “Family members needs to know exit routes in the event of a fire, as well as where to meet as a group outside. For smoke detectors, it’s recommended that households have one on every level, in every bedroom, and in the halls outside of sleeping areas. An easy way to remember when to change smoke detectors is when you reset the clocks for daylight saving time.”

This year’s theme during National Fire Prevention Week is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With,” which focuses on reminding people about the importance of smoke alarms, and the importance of making sure that everyone updates and maintains their home smoke alarm protection systems.

“Smoke alarms actually reduce the risk of dying in a fire by half,” said Convery. “Sadly, many people do not know as much as they should about these life-saving devices. For example, according to the NFPA, in a recent telephone survey, only 12 percent of those asked knew that smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. For the safety of your home and loved ones, it’s important to get the facts about fire safety and smoke alarms.”

To help people learn more, MetLife Auto & Home offers free materials, including a coloring book for children entitled “Learn about Fire Safety with the PEANUTS Gang” and a fire safety brochure entitled “About Fire Safety.” They are available by calling 1-800-608-0190.

MetLife Auto & Home is one of the nation’s leading personal lines property and casualty insurance companies. MetLife Auto & Home is a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), and an affiliate of MetLife®, a leading provider of insurance and financial services with operations throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Asia’s Pacific regions. For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.

MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates, Warwick, RI.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6460313&lang=en

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