Developing a home escape plan can make all the difference between life and death in case of a fire.

That was among the tips shared with visitors when the Lehighton Fire Department hosted its 2017 Fire Prevention Open House Thursday at the Lehighton Fire Station.

Along with equipment from the borough fire department, there was also a Fire Safety Trailer from the Franklin Township Fire Company, a fire extinguisher simulator from the Mahoning Valley Fire Company, and the American Red Cross Pocono Chapter promoted their Pillow Case Project with children.

The open house proved to be a great success, according to Joe Flickinger, fire prevention/community outreach committee chairman, Lehighton Fire Department.

“It’s hard to tell exactly how many people were there, but the Red Cross gave out all of their pillow cases (50 of them) that they brought for their Pillow Case Project,” Flickinger said. The smoke trailer from Franklin Township Fire Company was also another great hit as always.”

“Developing and practicing a home escape plan is like building muscle memory,” said Joe Flickinger, a firefighter with the Lehighton Fire Department. “That preplanning is what everyone will draw upon to snap into action and escape as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.”

This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” works to better educate the public about the critical importance of developing a home escape plan and practicing it.

The Lehighton Fire Department has worked in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association, the official sponsor of the Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, to reinforce those potentially lifesaving messages.

In support of Fire Prevention Week, Flickinger encouraged all households to develop a plan together and practice it.

A home escape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas.

It also includes two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window, with a clear path to an outside meeting place (like a tree, light pole or mailbox) that’s a safe distance from the home.

NFPA and the Lehighton Fire Department offer these additional tips and recommendations for developing and practicing a home escape plan:

• Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.

• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.

• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.

• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.

• Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.

• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week activities in Lehighton, visit https://www.facebook.com/LehightonFireDepartment.

To learn more about this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign and home escape planning, visit firepreventionweek.org.