July 15th is Pet Fire Safety Day. While no one wants to consider being caught in a fire emergency, we can all take steps to be prepared. Prevention and planning will go a long way in making sure that your pet doesn’t cause or get caught in a fire situation.

There are several steps that you can take to be ready in case the worst occurs. Three steps that may save your pets’ lives are practicing, preventing, and locating.

Practice

The American Red Cross recommends that you include your pet in your family evacuation plan. They suggest that not only should you include them in the plan, but you should practice evacuating with them. Call them by name to be sure that they will come to you in an emergency.

Prevent

According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 1,000 fires are accidentally started each year by pets.

The American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services suggest the following tips to prevent an accidentally fire:

Extinguish open flames
Remove stove knobs
Use flameless candles
Crate young pets

Locate

Finally, be sure to have some type of identification to alert firefighters to the presence of pets in your home. Window clings with the number and type of pets in a front window is a good option. The Red Cross recommends keeping your pets near an entrance when you are gone and also have them collared up and ready to be leashed and led out.

Being prepared in an emergency means thinking through what you need to do and enacting it. Practicing your plan will not only alert you to potential mishaps, but will decrease the amount of time needed to get out. Be ready, be prepared, and be safe.