Dawson County Emergency Services urges the community to take a lesson from the school system, which teaches students how to react in the event of a fire on campus, by participating in a countywide home fire escape drill planned for Friday.

The fire drill will be conducted at 10 p.m., a time when many families are typically fast asleep to give citizens a true sense of waking up in the middle of the night to a smoke alarm or live fire.

“The time was selected to see how your kids will respond to the sound of a smoke alarm if sleeping,” said Tim Satterfield, deputy chief of Dawson County Emergency Services.

Earlier this week home fire escape drill step-by-step instructions were sent home with all students attending Dawson County public elementary schools.

“Most fatal fires occur in the home,” said Satterfield. “Having working smoke alarms, as well as planning and practicing home fire escape drills, can reduce your risk of injury or death.”

Fire fatalities are rare in school buildings, because the schools teach students how to react in the case of fire through fire drills, Satterfield said.

As the weather turns colder, the use of space heaters and fire places increase the number of residential fires.