"So what does every home need that USFS can provide?"
At USFS, we feel that there are minimum safety essentials that each household needs in order to create an effective strategy for encountering and dealing with an emergency such as a fire in the home.
Every home needs properly functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as well as regular replacement of batteries and inspection of those detectors. "Smoke alarms provide an early warning of a fire, giving people additional escape time. In 2009-2013, smoke alarms sounded in more than half (53%) of the home1 fires reported to U.S. fire departments.Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38%) or no working smoke alarms (21%). The death rate per 100 reported home fires was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms compared to the rate in homes with working smoke alarms (1.18 deaths vs. 0.53 deaths per 100 fires).In fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, almost half (46%) of the smoke alarms had missing or disconnected batteries. Dead batteries caused one-quarter (24%) of the smoke alarm failures." (http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statistics-and-reports/fire-statistics/fire-safety-equipment/smoke-alarms-in-us-home-fires)
"How often should the smoke alarms in your home be replaced? If you don"t know, you're not alone. A national survey conducted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) shows that nine out of 10 Americans don"t know how often smoke alarms need to be replaced. The correct answer: every 10 years." (http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/news-and-media/press-room/news-releases/2016/how-often-do-smoke-alarms-need-to-be-replaced-a-national-survey-shows-most-americans-dont-know)
"Half of Americans (50 percent) have three or more smoke alarms in their current home. Almost one in five Americans who have smoke alarms (19 percent) say the oldest smoke alarm they currently have in their home is 10+ years old. Nearly one in five Americans who have smoke alarms (18 percent) are not at all sure how old the oldest smoke alarm they currently have in their home is. When asked how often they should replace smoke alarms, nine in 10 Americans (90 percent) did not select the correct answer, which is once every 10 years." (http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/news-and-media/press-room/news-releases/2016/how-often-do-smoke-alarms-need-to-be-replaced-a-national-survey-shows-most-americans-dont-know)
"A smoke alarm's age can be determined by looking on the back or side of the smoke alarm, where the date of manufacture can be found. Smoke alarms should be replaced 10 years from that date (not the date of purchase or installation). In addition, smoke alarms should be tested monthly, and batteries should be replaced when they begin to chirp, signaling that they're running low." http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/news-and-media/press-room/news-releases/2016/how-often-do-smoke-alarms-need-to-be-replaced-a-national-survey-shows-most-americans-dont-know)
Additionally, carbon monoxide detectors are of equal importance. "Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide."
(http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/fire-and-life-safety-equipment/carbon-monoxide)
"The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim's health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body's ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be. A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time. In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 80,100 non-fire CO incidents in which carbon monoxide was found, or an average of nine such calls per hour. The number of incidents increased 96 % from 40,900 incidents reported in 2003. This increase is most likely due to the increased use of CO detectors, which alert people to the presence of CO." (http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/fire-and-life-safety-equipment/carbon-monoxide)
In addition, every home should be in possession of an up to date fire extinguisher. "Portable fire extinguishers are an important part of any fire safety program in homes and workplaces. These devices typically contain a noncombustible gas such as carbon dioxide or a noncombustible chemical powder or liquid stored under pressure. When there is a fire, a portable extinguisher is used to smother the flames. National fire protection standards require that these devices be inspected regularly and periodically be recharged or replaced." (http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fire-extinguishers-need-changing-68747.html)
"According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards adopted by most federal and state safety agencies, a non-rechargeable fire extinguisher must be removed from service, discarded and replaced with a new unit every 12 years, unless the manufacturer specifies an earlier expiration date. A rechargeable extinguisher must be taken out of service, hydrostatically tested and recharged every six years. After recharging by a qualified professional, the unit can be returned to service. Non-rechargeable extinguishers must bear labeling stating they are not to be recharged.
A portable extinguisher may need recharging or replacement sooner than the six- or 12-year maximum intervals if an extinguisher cannot pass an inspection. NFPA standards require monthly inspections of portable fire extinguishers by staff in commercial and industrial areas. Extinguishers in these settings must be checked out by a licensed extinguisher maintenance contractor every 12 months." (http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fire-extinguishers-need-changing-68747.html)
Subsequently, every family should have a well thought out and practiced escape plan in the event of a fire or other emergency. Escape plans must also include unobstructed and well placed fire exits. "Fire experts agree that people have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home. However, many Americans (62 percent) mistakenly believe they have at least five minutes to escape and about 18 percent believe they have ten minutes or more to get out.
About 42 percent of those polled said they could get out of a burning home in two minutes and almost 7 in 10 parents (69 percent) believed their children would know what to do or how to get out with little help despite the fact that many of these parents had not practiced fire drills with their kids or talked to them about fire safety.
Less than one in five families with children age 3-17 (18 percent) have actually practiced home fire drills.Less than half of parents (48 percent) have talked to their families about fire safety.Only one third of families with children (30 percent) have identified a safe place to meet outside their home." (http://www.redcross.org/news/article/A-Home-Fire-Escape-Plan-Can-Save-Your-Life)
USFS can help provide and implement all of these essentials in order to prevent injuries and fatalities caused by house fires.