In a Fire, Don't Just Take the Money and Run

We all, at some point in our lives, have said tobring them home. Toys and clothing are easy to
someone, "I've got some good news and somereplace as well. This all probably feels a little
bad news. Which do you want first?" A Syracuse,bittersweet to Lamoree, but there would be no
New York man got some firsthand experienceconsolation if a family member had been
with this Tuesday night.neglected over casino winnings.
Kenneth Lamoree returned home early TuesdayAll this brings up a couple of issues. Fireproof
morning after a very successful trip to an upstatesafes and emergency preparedness plans. Many
casino. He was $3,200 richer and planned to usehomeowners use fireproof safes for the safe
the money to catch up on some bills. That's thestorage of important documents, as well as cash
good news. Now for the bad news. A little moreand other negotiable instruments. How you use a
than an hour later a fire broke out in thefireproof safe in your home is entirely up to you,
two-family home he and his family share withbut they're designed to withstand high
another family. Fortunately, everyone in thetemperatures, and excessive water typically seen
house, including three children, got out withoutin house fires.
incident. The fire was so bad, however,Emergency preparedness plans are the key to
firefighters evacuated the people from thesurvival in a house fire. It's obvious the Lamoree
houses on either side of Lamoree's house.family knew two things. First, to get out of the
The house suffered extensive smoke, fire, andhouse as safely and quickly as possible. Second,
water damage, including, you guessed it, thewhere the safest exits were to get them out as
wallet and the $3,200 inside it. There's really noquickly as possible.
moral to this story. In fact, what happened to theCreating an emergency preparedness plan for
Lamoree family is what frequently happens inyour family can make all the difference in the
house fires.world when disaster strikes. Repeatedly going
Property gets burned, damaged, and otherwiseover exit plans, teaching your children to remain
destroyed in house fires, including wallets filled withcalm and cool, and instructing everyone that they
cash. However, the Lamoree family did exactlyhave one single goal in a house fire: get out and
what a family should do if a fire breaks out inget to safety as quickly as possible.
their house: get everyone out of the house asA home security system, complete with smoke
quickly and safely as possible.detectors and professional monitoring for the
The things we accumulate over time can beearliest notification possible, is the key component
replaced. Furniture comes and goes. Homein your family's emergency plan.
electronics are obsolete almost the minute we