Fire makes smoke and toxic gases, and they kill more people than flames do. That is why the first rule of fire safety is about getting out of the building, not about fighting the fire. Heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect first along the ceiling, so you drop down and crawl low to your way out. Covering your mouth and nose with a moist towel or clothing helps keep out dangerous fumes while you go. Before opening a door, feel it, and if it is hot, do not open it. Use another way out.

If there is a fire at home, get outside first and then call 911, as of November 2026. Never go back inside for anything or anyone. In an apartment building, look for the stairs marked fire exit and do not take the elevator. If your clothes catch fire, you stop, drop and roll. If you cannot, a blanket or towel can smother the flames. Do not stop to grab belongings or pets or to make a phone call while you are getting out.

A fire extinguisher is best for a small fire, such as one in a wastebasket, and only after the fire department has been called. To use one, remember the word PASS: pull the pin, aim at the bottom of the fire, squeeze the lever, and sweep from side to side. If you are not sure whether to use one, do not. Leave right away and call the fire department. Sleeping with the bedroom door closed also helps, because a closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.

When thunder roars, go indoors, because a building or a car with a roof keeps you safe from lightning. A tornado is a fast-spinning column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm to the ground. A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible, so families should review their plan. It is issued for a large area, often many counties or even states. A tornado warning means one has been sighted or shown by weather radar. It covers a much smaller area, about the size of a city or small county.

Look for the signs of a tornado: a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud, a cloud of debris, or a loud roar like a freight train. If you see a tornado coming, do not try to outrun it in a car. Take shelter where you are, in a small room with no windows on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Water brings danger too. A flash flood is a sudden, violent flood that can take from minutes to hours to develop. Do not drive through flooded roadways. Six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot can sweep a vehicle away.

Earthquakes happen when underground rock shifts, causing sudden, rapid shaking of the ground. During the shaking, drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops. If you are inside, stay inside, and do not run outside or stand in a doorway. If you are outside, move to an open area away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines. If you are in a car, pull over and stop, and set the parking brake. After an earthquake, smaller shakes called aftershocks can follow, so be ready to drop, cover and hold on again.

Families get ready before a disaster. An emergency supply kit holds water, a first aid kit, flashlights and a radio. It is a good idea to choose one person who lives out of town as the family contact. That person may be easier to reach in a disaster. In an emergency, texting can work better than phone calls, and it leaves phone lines open for emergency workers.

When you call 911, say the number as nine-one-one, not nine-eleven, so you look for the right buttons on the phone, as of November 2026. The call-taker asks for the street address, the phone number you are calling from, what is happening, and details such as a description of a fire. Many 911 centers can tell callers exactly what to do until help arrives. If you call by mistake, do not hang up. A hang-up could make the call-takers think there is an emergency and send help.

If you get lost, stop and stand still first, and look around, because your grown-up is often close by. Kids who are lost can call out the names they use for their grown-ups, and it is fine to yell, even in a library or a restaurant. Tell a helper that you want to stay in the same store or place, and do not go somewhere else with someone, unless there is a big emergency. If that does not work, follow your family's safety plan.

Words to know

• extinguisher: fire putter-outer
• watch: storm may form
• contact: person to reach
• flash: very sudden
• aftershocks: later small shakes