It's time to check smoke alarms and test evacuation plans. October 5th marks the beginning of Fire Prevention Month and with the most active months for residential fires just around the corner, the American Red Cross is urging families to take time to prepare now before a disaster hits home.

"Being ready for a fire doesn't mean spending lots of time and money on training and expensive equipment," said Tim Lipan Executive Director of the American Red Cross Serving Muskegon, Oceana and Newaygo Counties. "There are some quick, affordable steps that people can take that can drastically improve their safety and preparedness."

Lipan explained that one of the easiest and cheapest ways to make residences safer is to install and regularly test smoke detectors. "Having a warning against any disaster, whether it's a fire or a tornado, greatly reduces risk to lives. Smoke alarms are your first line of defense because they provide you and your family a chance to escape."

The American Red Cross recommends that smoke alarms be placed on every level of a home and that the alarms be regularly cleaned as dust and debris can interfere with their operation. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three of every ten reported fires in homes equipped with smoke alarms, the devices did not work, most often because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries.

Lipan continued, "Batteries should be checked each month and replaced annually. The easiest thing to do is to pick a holiday or a birthday and change the batteries of your smoke alarm on that day."

Another simple measure proven to save lives is developing an emergency plan complete with at least two evacuation routes out of every room in the home. Trying to get out of a house filled with smoke can be incredibly confusing and frightening. Every second counts and having a pre-determined evacuation plan will help you get out faster. Once you get out, stay out. Never try to re-enter a burning home.

Despite the relative simplicity of basic readiness measures, an overwhelming majority of people in the United States remain frighteningly unprepared. A recent poll conducted by the American Red Cross found that 58 percent of the public had not assembled a disaster supplies kit and that 59 percent had not made an emergency plan.

'Silent' Disasters Draining National Disaster Relief Funds

The American Red Cross has dedicated its services to reducing the impact fires take on the United States each year by distributing crucial preparedness material across the country and instructing millions in life-saving techniques such as First Aid and CPR.

However, even the long-time leader in disaster safety and response is not immune to the wrath of fires.

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes and by far the majority of those are residential fires. At the local Chapter this last year volunteers responded to fires affecting over 500 individuals and families in Muskegon, Oceana and Newaygo Counties providing over $75,000 in assistance and additional referrals to other area agencies that assist those affected.

In fact, fires have become so commonplace in many communities; they are termed "silent" disasters by the organization because they do not grab the headlines of major disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Smaller disasters such as house fires occur so frequently, they are often overlooked - except, of course, by the victims themselves.

"When a fire ignites in a house or an apartment, it is no less terrifying to people than a tornado. There really is no small disaster," Lipan said. "A fire is just as traumatic as a major disaster, which is why Red Cross response is so important."

Unfortunately, the Red Cross response to such "silent" disasters has taken its toll on the organization's Disaster Relief Fund, which allows the organization to provide immediate emergency assistance to the victims of everything from multi-unit apartment fires to severe storms to damaging floodwaters. On September 15, the Red Cross announced that the Disaster Relief Fund was empty, due to a decrease in financial support and an increase in "silent" disasters.

All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.