It’s Fire Prevention Week! Now is the time to PLAN and PRACTICE your ESCAPE from a building fire!
Listen to the interview from October 8th on AM 590 WKZO and FM 106.9
Fifteen to twenty years ago, homes had more ‘natural’ materials in them such as cotton, wool and untreated wood. Because of this, you had 15-20 minutes to escape in the event of a fire. In a typical home fire today, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds, because of all of the synthetic materials. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out.
According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, 71% of households have a fire escape plan, but only 47% of those have practiced it. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape.™ provides an opportunity for fire and life safety organizations to share how important it is for everyone to have and practice a home fire escape plan.
Many in the community don’t understand the risks from life-threatening heat and toxic smoke produced in a fire. Therefore, firefighters and other community advocates will be working hard throughout October to teach the community about the dangers of fire and smoke, the importance of having working smoke alarms installed throughout their home and help them create and practice a home escape plan.
Why home escape planning and practice matter
- Home escape planning and practice ensure that everyone knows what to do in a fire and is prepared to escape quickly and safely.
- Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.
- When the smoke alarm sounds in a real fire, it’s too late to start to make a plan.
- Sleep with your bedroom door closed. A closed door can actually be an effective barrier against deadly levels of carbon monoxide, smoke and flames – plus it might buy you more time to escape.
What should be included on an escape plan
- Draw or map out the layout of your home, marking two exits from every room (typically a door and a window) and a path from each exit to the outside.
- Pick a meeting place outside in front of your home where everyone will meet upon exiting (examples include a sidewalk, fence, driveway, or neighbor’s house).
- Mark the location of all smoke alarms in your home. (There should be a least one on every level, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas).
- Make sure everyone knows how to call 911 or the local emergency number from a mobile phone or neighbor’s phone once they’re safety outside.
Learning about the dangers of fire will help children and adults understand that having a plan is not enough. It’s essential to practice the escape plan with all members of your household at least twice a year so everyone knows what to do if there is a fire in their home.
E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety reminds you in a fire, seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragic injury or death. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. Teenagers, adults and the elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take the time every October during Fire Prevention Week to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire and steps they can take to prevent a fire from occurring throughout the year.
About Fire Prevention Week
Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in the United States. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.
It’s Fire Prevention Week this week and to help keep families prepared Fire Lieutenant Michael McLeieer of E.S.C.A.P.E Fire Safety provided information including a family friendly activity so your family can plan and practice your ESCAPE in case of a fire!
Fifteen to twenty years ago, homes had more ‘natural’ materials in them such as cotton, wool and untreated wood. Because of this, you had 15-20 minutes to escape in the event of a fire. In a typical home fire today, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds, because of all of the synthetic materials. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out.
According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, 71% of households have a fire escape plan, but only 47% of those have practiced it. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape.™ provides an opportunity for fire and life safety organizations to share how important it is for everyone to have and practice a home fire escape plan.
Many in the community don’t understand the risks from life-threatening heat and toxic smoke produced in a fire. Therefore, firefighters and other community advocates will be working hard throughout October to teach the community about the dangers of fire and smoke, the importance of having working smoke alarms installed throughout their home and help them create and practice a home escape plan.
Why home escape planning and practice matter
- Home escape planning and practice ensure that everyone knows what to do in a fire and is prepared to escape quickly and safely
- Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.
- When the smoke alarm sounds in a real fire, it’s too late to start to make a plan.
- Sleep with your bedroom door closed. A closed door can actually be an effective barrier against deadly levels of carbon monoxide, smoke and flames – plus it might buy you more time to escape.
What should be included on an escape plan
- Draw or map out the layout of your home, marking two exits from every room (typically a door and a window) and a path from each exit to the outside.
- Pick a meeting place outside in front of your home where everyone will meet upon exiting (examples include a sidewalk, fence, driveway, or neighbor’s house).
- Mark the location of all smoke alarms in your home. (There should be a least one on every level, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas).
- Make sure everyone knows how to call 911 or the local emergency number from a mobile phone or neighbor’s phone once they’re safety outside.
Learning about the dangers of fire will help children and adults understand that having a plan is not enough. It’s essential to practice the escape plan with all members of your household at least twice a year so everyone knows what to do if there is a fire in their home.
E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety reminds you in a fire, seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragic injury or death. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. Teenagers, adults and the elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take the time every October during Fire Prevention Week to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire and steps they can take to prevent a fire from occurring throughout the year Where You Live!
If you need a free smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm installed in the primary home you own and occupy, visit https://bit.ly/2p5czQX for a list of Operation Save A Life installation programs.
About Fire Prevention Week
Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in the United States. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.
October is Fire Prevention Month but it’s important your family is prepared and stays safe all year long! The Operation Save a Life Installation Program has created a list of area smoke alarm and/or carbon monoxide alarm installation programs across West Michigan. Check it out below!
Allegan County:
- Dorr Township Fire Department – 616-681-9874
- Fennville Area Fire Department – 269-561-2148
- Ganges Township Fire Department – 269-227-3806
- Graafschap Fire and Rescue – 616-396-4060
- Salem Township Fire – 616-292-7789
- Saugatuck Township Fire District – 269-857-3000
- Wayland Fire Department – 269-779-2999
Barry:
- Yankee Springs Fire Department – 269-779-2999
Branch:
- Bronson Fire Department – 517-369-6475 – [email protected]
- Coldwater Fire Department – 517-278-4177
Calhoun:
- Battle Creek Fire Department – 269-966-3519
- Marengo Township Fire Department – 269-781-8422 – [email protected]
Eaton:
- Bellevue Community Fire Department – 517-719-0861 – [email protected]
- Olivet Fire Department – 269-492-3340 – [email protected]
Kalamazoo:
- American Red Cross – Raul Galvan – 269-762-1935
- Kalamazoo Township Fire Department – 269-888-2171 – [email protected]
- Portage Department of Public Safety – Fire Division – 269-329-4487
Kent:
- American Red Cross – Nikki Salladay – 269-303-2135 or 616-456-8661
- Cutlerville Fire Department – 616-455-7670
- Dutton Fire Department – 616-541-0119
- Grand Rapids Fire Department – 616-456-3966
- Kent City Fire Department – 616-678-4330 – [email protected]
- Kentwood Fire Department – 616-554-0800
- Walker Fire Department – 616-791-6840
- Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan (must live in Grand Rapids, Kentwood, or Wyoming and have a resident child 14 years of age or younger. Both tenants and owners are eligible) – 616-241-3300 or email [email protected].
Montcalm:
- Home Township Fire Department (Edmore) – 616-902-3923
Muskegon:
- Blue Lake Township Fire Department – 231-288-9220
- Casnovia Township Fire Department – 231-834-7066
- Dalton Township Fire Department – 231-766-3277
- Egelston Fire Department – 231-788-2254
- Fruitport Township Fire Department – 231-773-9312
- Holton Township Fire Department – 231-343-6861
- Montague Fire District Authority – 231-893-3311
- Moorland Township Fire Department – 231-769-9402
- Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department – 231-773-4316
- Muskegon Heights Fire Department – 231-733-8893
- Muskegon City Fire Department – 231-724-6795
- North Muskegon Fire Department – 231-744-1766
- Norton Shores Fire Department – 231-799-6809
- Ravenna Fire Department – 231-638-1142
- White Lake Fire Authority – 231-893-6503
Newaygo:
- Newaygo Fire Department – 231-519-0494 – [email protected]
Oceana:
- Walkerville Area Fire & Rescue – 231-742-1656 – [email protected]
Ottawa:
- Allendale Fire Department – 616-895-6295, ext. 30
- Crockery Township Fire Department – 616-837-6700 (fire station) or 616-837-6868 (township hall)
- Grand Haven Department of Public Safety – 616-842-3460 – [email protected]
- Spring Lake Fire Department – 616-215-1590
St. Joseph:
- White Pigeon Township Fire Department – 269-483-9414
Van Buren:
- Bangor Community Fire Department – 269-427-8980 – [email protected]
For more information on fire safety or to find a smoke alarm installation program near your community, call toll free 1-844-978-4400 or email [email protected].
Listen to the interview on WKZO AM 590 and FM 106.9 on Friday 09/06/2019 at 7:50 am
When you look at the number of disasters in the U.S., chances are every area will deal with some kind of emergency in the next decade. And between school, sports and social lives, imagine if you are at work or at home when a disaster strikes. Will your child know what to do and where to go to stay safe when you are not around?
National Preparedness Month, is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning now and throughout the year. The 2019 theme is “Prepared, Not Scared.”
Having a conversation now with everyone in your family about what to do, where to meet and what to place in an emergency preparedness kit is a great way to feel Prepared, Not Scared.
Here is a list of items to consider adding to your emergency preparedness kit:
- Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Radio: Battery-powered or hand-crank (NOAA Weather Radio also, if possible).
- Medications: (7-day supply) and medical items
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Cell phone with chargers
- Family and emergency contact information
- Extra Cash: ATM’s may not work during an extended power outage or communications disruption.
- Emergency blanket
- Map(s) of the area
- First Aid Kit: Other items to have available include rain gear, towels, work gloves, scissors and duct tape
Here are some additional items to consider for all family members:
- Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, etc.)
- Baby supplies (bottles, formula., baby food and diapers)
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies (collar, lease, ID, food, carrier, bowl) Note: Not all shelters or hotel/motels accept pets. Make a plan which includes what to do with your pet(s) should immediate evacuation be needed.
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
- Manual can opener
“Emergencies such as severe weather, flooding, fire, gas leaks and extended power outages happen when we least expect them and emergency preparedness should be a top priority for every Michigander”, according to Firefighter Michael McLeieer, President of E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety.
Each week of National Preparedness Month 2019, the Ready Campaign will emphasize a unique aspect of preparedness:
- September 1 – 7: Save Early for Disaster Costs
- September 8 – 14: Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters
- September 15 – 21: Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters
- September 22 – 30: Get Involved in Your Community’s Preparedness
For more information about National Preparedness Month, visit www.ready.gov. Take the time now to be Prepared, Not Scared Where You Live!
Fireworks during the Fourth of July are as American as apple-pie, but did you know that 2 out of 5 fires reported on that day are started by fireworks, more than for any other cause? Every Independence Day holiday, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks which include devastating burns, injuries to the eyes, hands and face, fires and even death.
According to the latest national data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 12,900 people for fireworks related injuries; 54% of those injuries were to the extremities and 36% were to the head. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for more than one-third (36%) of the estimated injuries during 2017.
In Michigan, consumer fireworks became legal January 1, 2012, and must meet CPSC standards. They will only be sold to people 18 years of age or older. Low impact fireworks (ground-based items such as sparklers, toy snakes, snaps, and poppers) are legal for sale and use. In December, 2018, new measures were signed into law (House Bill 5939) that reduce the number of days fireworks can be used, give local government more power to regulate the devices and tighten consumer sales and use.
“The best way to stay safe from fireworks is to not use them. Instead, attend a public fireworks display put on by trained experts,” said Firefighter Michael McLeieer, President of the non-profit fire safety charity E.S.C.A.P.E. “Fireworks are dangerous to people and pets. Using them puts you and your property at risk,” according to McLeieer.
You can enjoy your holiday and the fireworks by following a few simple safety tips:
Proceed with caution!
- Be safe. If you want to see fireworks, go to a public show put on by the professionals. To find a fireworks display near you, check out the listings on woodtv.com.
- Parents and caregivers should always closely supervise children at events where fireworks are used.
- Hand-held sparklers burn at more than 1,200 °F and cause 3rd degree burns in seconds. As a comparison, wood ignites at 356 F.
- If you decide to use sparklers, place discarded sparkler wires in a metal bucket filled with water.
- Sparklers account for roughly one-quarter (25%) of emergency room fireworks injuries.
- After the fireworks display, children should never pick up fireworks that may be left over since they may still be active.
- Adults should not use alcohol with fireworks.
- Follow the local ordinance and state law regarding the use of consumer fireworks.
- Leave pets at home and keep them inside during fireworks displays.
To learn more about the new state law and your local ordinance pertaining to fireworks, click here.
E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety urges Michiganders to use common sense, be aware of your surroundings and follow safety rules this Fourth of July during holiday celebrations Where You Live!