The Home Fire and Disaster Safety Quiz

CPR is a crucial first-aid, and one that nearly anyone can learn. Check an adult-education or community-education schedule in your area for classes, which usually only last about two hours.

Sheltering in place is an important concept in disaster preparedness. In turn, the main thing you'll need is supplies - food, water, a basic first-aid kit, and comfort/safety items.

It's best to have supplies in three places: your home, your work and your vehicle. That said, the largest, best-stocked kit will probably be the one in your home.

While a bit of sodium is essential to human health, you're likely to get enough from your food. But dry foods and canned foods are very useful for storage and quick preparation without electricity. Just, whatever you do, don't forget the can opener!

When preparing your emergency kit, consider special circumstances. The three above will all require extra drinking water.

The most obvious advantage of clearing is that fire can't easily jump to your house. However, in storms with high winds, you'll be happy when an older tree falls over at the edge of your yard, not right onto your roof.

Smoke rises, so smoke alarms should be high on walls. This is the same reason why you crawl low when escaping a house fire.

If you're going to drink the water right away, this is okay. But these bottles can't be used for stored water. The sugars in milk and juice can't be fully rinsed out, and they provide food for bacteria to grow in the refilled bottles.

This term is borrowed from the military. It means a bag stocked with things you'll need if you to be "omega mike" (on the move) in a hurry - for example, ahead of a wildfire.

A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds. So you can see how adding even a day's worth of drinking water (about 1/2 gallon) really adds a lot of weight to your bug-out bag. It's worth considering sheltering in place instead.

Anything you're likely to need on the road should go in there. While cash or medications (especially pain meds) might be attractive to thieves, that's not a reason to leave them out, just to keep your bag with you.

Yes, these bags and blankets really did get their name from being pioneered by NASA for use in space travel. Why might you need one, especially in your own home? Because if you live in a cold climate, and there's no heat for more than a day at a stretch, your regular bed or sleeping bag probably won't do the trick.

If you hear or smell gas, you should get everyone out of the house. If you are confident in your skill at shutting off the gas at the outside valve, then do so. But Job One is making sure everyone is safe.

Though they might seem intimidating, you don't have to be a licensed anything to use a defibrillator - but you should definitely get training, the same as you would for CPR. The reason more people don't know how to use these is that they're pretty expensive, so people rarely shell out for one for the home.

Many people think to check the gauge to make sure the extinguisher is still pressurized. Fewer people know that it needs to be tipped back and forth once in a while, to keep the fire-retardant material inside from clumping (which means it might not discharge when needed). If you can't feel the stuff inside shifting back and forth as you turn the canister up and down, it's probably time to replace it.

Raise your hands, everyone who actually does this. Yes, we thought so. Still, if you can even get to a monthly schedule, you're probably doing better than average!

Since it's recommended you change out batteries twice a year, public-safety agencies use these two annual days as "reminder" days.

Fire-safety experts recommend sleeping with your bedroom door closed, in case of fire in the night. Afraid that this will keep you from hearing an alarm? Having the smoke alarm right outside your bedroom door, or having one in the bedroom, will help.

It's important to have them near bedrooms, as sleeping people are most vulnerable. Near ducts and windows are bad places for alarms. The supply of drafty fresh air can keep an alarm from sensing smoke and going off in a timely fashion.

Escape or fire ladders are ones that roll up for easy storage (they're made of durable but flexible material) and have hooks so you can attach them quickly to windowsills or balcony railings. It's true that a person could hurt themselves in the case of hasty, improper use, but it's still better to have them than not.

Generators that burn gasoline must be outside the home; even an attached garage is not safe, even with the door open. Solar generators, though less reliable, do not carry the risk of CO poisoning.

Plywood helps windows to withstand hurricane winds. You could also buy special "hurricane shutters."

If you live in a tsunami-prone area, i.e., coastland, you probably already know it. And you know that it isn't earthquakes in your own area that will cause a tsunami that will affect you. Rather, it's quakes thousands of miles away that send a shockwave across the ocean.

Actually, going to a higher floor isn't a bad idea, but if you don't have food up there, and your home's water lines become contaminated with non-potable floodwater, well, it's not going to be a comfortable stay. Often the best thing to do is head out when authorities advise it.

This is why it's useful to shut off your home's electricity before a potential flood if you're determined to shelter in place. Afterward, wear waders, boots, and gloves to move around and clean up, as dangerous animals and sharp debris might be present.

Doorways are very solidly built, and standing in one can keep you safe from falling debris. So can hiding under or right next to a sturdy table or desk. (No folding tables, please).

Of course, the answer is earthquakes, which strike without warning. This is why advance preparation may be more important for quakes than any other kind of disaster.

If you're laughing at the image of someone running around in the middle of an earthquake, trying to unplug things, it's okay. We are, too. The correct answer here is "thunderstorm," in which lightning strikes can cause power surges that damage electrical appliances or machines.

Wildfires and the winds from them tend to carry unhealthy particulates. A mask rated N95 can be a big help while you're evacuating... or if you can't.

Fishermen and sailors already know this. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration broadcasts detailed reports on the weather that can be especially helpful if you're on the lookout for hurricanes.

All 50 U.S. states have enacted these, and they're sadly necessary for a lawsuit-happy society. A Good Samaritan law means that if you dislocate an injured person's shoulder while dragging them out of a burning building, they probably can't successfully sue you for it. (Doesn't mean they won't try, though).

Well, future generations might enjoy seeing a video of your one-time home (but they probably won't). The point of this practice is documenting your possessions or home-improvements for insurance purposes.

Text alerts are a fairly new way for emergency agencies to get in touch with citizens. They won't cost you anything or disrupt other phone functions.

This is never, ever a good idea. If you have no outdoor storage places, buy a sturdy outdoor box at the hardware store. You can even find them at yard and garage sales, if you're frugal.

Syracuse may not be America's most exciting city, but sometimes that's a good thing! Other than heavy rains or snows, there just isn't much this upstate New York town is vulnerable to - no earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and indeed, no volcanoes! So if your idea of disaster prep is to move to a place with almost no disasters, this is your destination!