The 15th Annual Family Fire Safety Day will be held at Lowe’s in Portage on Saturday October 27, 2018 from 10am – 2pm. Free Halloween Costume Contest at 11am with prizes.
Fire can happen anywhere, at any time – day or night. According to the National Fire Protection Association, if you have a reported home fire today, you are more likely to die than you were in 1980. This startling fact is attributed to several factors, including the way homes are built and the contents in them.
This year’s National Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be Aware. Fire can happen anywhere,” works to educate people about three basic but essential steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a fire – and how to escape in the event of one:
LOOK for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and eliminate them.
LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.
LEARN two ways out of every room, practice your home escape plan with your family and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
N.F.P.A. reports four out of five U.S. fire deaths occur in homes. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. While children under 5 and adults over 65 are at the highest risk for injury or death in a fire, people of all ages are vulnerable. In fact, the risk of a nonfatal fire injury is highest for those between 20 and 49, showing that fire safety education is essential for everyone.
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.
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.
Here is a list of some of the area smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm installation programs across West Michigan:
Allegan County:
Dorr Township Fire Department – 616-681-9874
Fennville Area Fire Department – 269-455-9068
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:
Coldwater Fire Department – 517-278-4177
Calhoun:
Battle Creek Fire Department – 269-966-3519
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
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
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
If you need smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms installed in the home you own, please contact one of the organizations listed above, call the WOTV Operation Save A Life program toll free at 1-844-978-4400 or email [email protected].
Here’s a calendar that will help you and your family practice fire safety every day!
To download your fire safety calendar, click here.
With the Labor Day holiday weekend upon us, it’s a popular time for outdoor grilling. It’s one of the most popular ways to cook food, however, a grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard. A grill can also be very hot, causing burn injuries.
E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety reminds you to follow these simple yet important tips and you will be on your way to safe grilling:
Safety For Kids
1. The grilling area should be designated as a “No Play Zone.”
2. The National Fire Protection Association recommends keeping kids and pets at least three feet away from the grill area.
Gas Grill Ventilation
1. Always keep the lid open when lighting your grill. Don’t close it until you are sure the grill is lit.
2. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends keeping the grill in a well-ventilated outdoor area, at least 3 feet away from trees, shrubs, siding, deck rails and eaves. Keep fire pits, personal fireplaces and torches at least 10 feet from your home or anything that can burn.
3. If you live in an apartment, check with your landlord or local fire department to learn where grilling is allowed. Many communities prohibit grilling on a deck or balcony.
4. Never cover the bottom of the grill with foil – it can restrict air circulation.
5. Always use and store propane cylinders outdoors in an upright position.
6. After filling or exchanging a cylinder, take it home immediately. While transporting the cylinder, keep your vehicle ventilated and the valve closed or capped. Do not leave the cylinder in your vehicle.
Firing Up The Gas Grill Safely
1. Never use matches or lighters to check for leaks. And never use starter fluid with propane grills.
2. Do not smoke while handling a propane cylinder, and keep all flammable materials away from the grill.
3. If the grill does not ignite within 10 seconds, turn off the gas, keep the lid open and wait 5 minutes before trying again. If the igniter fails to light the grill after two or three tries, turn off the gas and replace the igniter according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Regularly check the tubes that lead into the burner for blockage from insects or food grease.
5. Never attempt to repair, clean or clear blockages on a hot grill.
Inspect Your Grill Brush
1. If you are using a wire-bristle brush, inspect it carefully and discard if the bristles are loose. Tiny bristles that break off on grill surfaces can lodge in food and are ingested, injuring people;
2. Examine the grill grate carefully before cooking and examine food before consumption;
3. Consider alternative grill cleaning methods such as nylon brushes, pumice stones or tin foil and tongs, which can make suitable cleaning devices.
4. Clean your grill after each use. This will remove grease that can start a fire.
For more information, visit Consumer Reports at www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/wire-grill-brush-danger.
Charcoal Grill Safety
1. Be careful when using lighter fluid. Do not add fluid to an already lit fire because the flames can flashback up into the container and explode.
2. Place the coals from your grill in a metal can with a lid once they have cooled.
General Safety Tips
1. Always have one person in charge of the grill at all times. Never leave a hot grill unattended.
2. Do not wear loose clothing while cooking at a grill.
3. Remove grease or fat buildup in the trays below the grill so it can’t be ignited by a hot grill.
4. Never attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself. See a propane gas dealer or a qualified appliance repair person. Be sure to locate your model number and the manufacturer’s consumer inquiry phone number and write them on the front page of your manual.
5. If you smell gas and you are able to, safely turn off the cylinder vale, turning it to the right (clockwise). Immediately leave the area and call 911 or your local fire department. Before you use the grill again, have a qualified service technician inspect your cylinder.
6. Cool a first or second degree thermal burn with water for 15-20 minutes. Never use butter, creams or ointments since they can seal in the heat and cause continued burning. Seek medical attention as needed.
7. According to the N.F.P.A., gas grills contribute to a higher number of fires than charcoal grills.