Delco Alarm Systems wants you to remember that Fire prevention week kicked off on Sunday, Oct. 6 with a message encouraging everyone to learn, plan and practice how to escape from a house fire.
“This year’s campaign works to celebrate people of all ages who learn
about home fire escape planning and practice, bring that information home, and spur their families to action,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). “From young students who learn about the campaign at school to
parents who attend a community event like a fire station open house, all of
them truly are heroes because they’re taking steps to make their
households much, much safer from fire.”
The majority of house fires occur between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Having a plan in place when the sound of smoke detectors awakens you in
the middle of the night can mean the difference between life and death.
All home escape plans must include working smoke alarms on every level
of the home and in every bedroom, two ways out of every room – doors
and windows – and an outside meeting place a safe distance from the
house.
The campaign for this year’s Fire Prevention Week focuses on the importance of developing and practicing a home fire escape plan.
“Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!” also focuses on what a home escape plan entails and the value of practicing it.
“People tend to underestimate their risk to fire, particularly at home. That
overconfidence lends itself to a complacency toward home escape planning and practice,” said Carli. “But in a fire situation, we’ve seen time and again that advance Children and older folks are at a higher risk of perishing in a fire.
While some children are afraid of the sound of smoke detectors, even those as young as two or three can be taught to stay low and follow a plan. Importantly, they also need to understand they should never hide from firefighters.
The NFPA has videos and other fire prevention materials that focus on the
needs of children, while the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has teamed
up with Sesame Street to produce fire safety programs for preschoolers.
Seniors should test their smoke alarms to make sure they can hear them.
Special smoke alarms that use strobe lights are available for those who are
hard-of-hearing. Keeping eyeglasses, hearing aids, walkers and a phone
near the bed is also a safe practice. Home escape plans should be practiced twice a year by all members of the household.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week and “Not Every Hero
Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!” visit fpw.org.