If you are buying or renting a manufactured home (sometimes called a mobile home), make sure you keep fire safety in mind. According to the National Fire Protection Association and E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire & Safety, by following a few tips and knowing the facts and the safety requirements for manufactured homes, you can help keep your family safe Where You Live.
Safety Tips
- Choose a home built after 1976 that has the HUD label certifying that it meets certain minimum safety standards.
- Be sure your home has enough smoke alarms. Manufactured homes are required to be sold with smoke alarms, but sometimes people remove them. You need a smoke alarm inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and in or near the family/living room area(s). For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms so when one sounds, they all sound.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace batteries at least once a year.
- Have a home fire escape plan that includes two ways out of every room and an outside meeting place. Make sure all ways out of the home are easy to use. Practice your fire drill at least twice a year with your family.
- Make sure you can open and get out of windows and doors. Don’t block access to them.
- If the smoke alarms sound when you are cooking, consider moving the alarm further from the kitchen area or install a photoelectric type alarm with a hush button which is less sensitive to cooking.
- Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.
- Consider having a licensed electrician inspect the electrical system to be sure it is safe and meets the applicable National Electrical Code® requirements.
- Have smokers smoke outside the home. Provide large, non-tip ashtrays and empty them frequently. Douse butts with water before throwing them away. Check around and under cushions for smoldering butts.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn. When purchasing new space heaters, select appliances with automatic shut-off switches. Turn off portable heaters before falling asleep or when leaving the room. Supervise children and pets when space heaters are operating.
Remember to watch what you heat when cooking or frying and keep a 3-foot kid free zone away from anything that is hot.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries each year. Adults over the age of 65 are twice as likely to die in a cooking-related home fire. Adults 85 years and over are four times as likely to die from a burn injury. E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire & Safety offer a few tips you can follow to prevent these fires, fatalities, and injuries:
- Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the oven or stovetop.
- Stand by your pan! Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains— away from your stovetop.
- Turn handles of pots and pans to the side so you don’t accidentally bump them and spill the contents.
- Cook on back burners first to avoid young hands from touching hot burners or hot pans.
- Keep kids away from the cooking area. Maintain a three-foot kid free zone away from things that are hot and can burn (the stove, oven, microwave, or food).
- Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can easily catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.
- Check the kitchen after you finish cooking to make sure the oven, burners and other appliances are turned off.
Remember to take a few minutes and use common sense to prevent a fire or burn injury Where You Live!
Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery
Throughout October, we have shared tips to keep your family safe from fire.
On Sunday, November 2, it’s time to change your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries when you change your clock back one hour from Daylight Saving Time.
Families are encouraged to use the extra hour “gained” from the end of daylight saving time to review and practice their home fire safety plan and remind their friends, family and neighbors of the life-saving habit of testing and changing smoke alarm batteries.
Working smoke alarms double the chance of a family surviving a home fire and/or an unsafe carbon monoxide level.
Remember, when the smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sound, Get Out and Stay Out and then call 911 from the designated meeting place.
Sometimes saving a life can be that simple – Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® Where You Live!
11th Annual Family Fire Safety Day – 10/25/2014
PORTAGE, MI – October 25, 2014 – E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire & Safety, WOOD TV 8, WOTV 4, AM 590 WKZO, 106.5 WVFM and WNWN 98.5 FM invited families to learn how to be fire safe today at the 11th Annual Family Fire Safety Day from 10am – 2pm at Lowe’s in Portage.
The day included a variety of activities. For starters, there were free 9-volt and AA battery and smoke alarm give-a-ways (while they lasted). Plus, children and families had the chance to meet WVFM’s Ken Lanphear and WOOD TV’s Bill Steffen as well as Jake The Fire Safety Dog from E.S.C.A.P.E.
Jake guided families as they crawled under the smoke inside the E.S.C.A.P.E. fire safety demonstration trailer and went outside to the designated meeting place.
In addition, a Life EMS Ambulance was on location and paramedics distributed safety information and a Portage fire engine was also available for a tour that offered the opportunity to ask the crew about their equipment.
Jake the Fire Safety Dog invited his friend, Dr. Seely Rotigel, to join us this year. She promoted health and safety for Jake and his four legged friends.
Coffee Rescue was on location serving refreshments again this year.
There was even a Halloween costume contest for kids with prizes at 11am.
Adults even had the opportunity to enter to win free fire safety items.
“2013 ended with the worst civilian fire fatality rate not seen since 1999 throughout Michigan,” said Firefighter Michael McLeieer, President and Founder of E.S.C.A.P.E. “Most of the fatalities, especially those here in West Michigan occurred in homes without working smoke alarms. It’s through events like the Family Fire Safety Day that we can connect the community and first responders together to educate and empower families to plan, prepare and practice fire safety all throughout the year,” said McLeieer.
E.S.C.A.P.E. would like to thank our generous sponsors and supporters of this annual event:
- Lowe’s in Portage
- WOOD TV 8
- WOTV 4
- Maranda
- WKZO AM 590
- WVFM 106.5
- WNWN 98.5
- Liberty Mutual Insurance
- Craig’s Cruisers
- SAFE Kids – Kalamazoo County
- Papa Johns – South Westnedge (Portage)
- Life EMS
- Portage Department of Public Safety – Fire Division
- The Visiting Vet
- EDub Designs
- Coffee Rescue
- Ridge NAPA
- Post Community Credit Union
- Roger and Joy Kamphius
The E.S.C.A.P.E. Mobile Training Center Fire & Safety Trailer
Our five bugle premier media sponsors
The 2014 E.S.C.A.P.E. Mobile Training Center five bugle sponsors.
To view the photo album from the 11th Annual Family Fire Safety Day, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.881251331885780.1073741868.126934187317502&type=1
For more information about E.S.C.A.P.E. and other fire safety tips, visit http://www.escapeinc.org or http://www.jakethefiredog.org.
Halloween can be fun when you stay safe!
Halloween is coming soon. Our friend Maranda from WOTV4Women offers these tips to make your night safe, fun and enjoyable.
Flame Resistant Costumes
Look for flame-resistant costumes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends costumes made out of synthetic materials like nylon or polyester, which are less flammable than other materials.
Make sure you glow!
Make sure the Trick-or-Treaters have a flashlight. Add reflective tape to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing in order to be seen.
Face Paint Fright
Instead of masks, which can cover the eyes and make it hard to see, consider using face paint.
Trick-or-Treating Route
Plan the Trick-or-Treat route and make sure adults know where children are going. A parent or responsible adult should accompany young children along the planned route.
Get the Pumpkin Glow
Use a glow stick instead of a candle in the Jack-O-Lantern to avoid a fire hazard.
Sidewalk Safety
Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street and cross only at the corner. Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.
Bright Front Porch
If someone is welcoming Trick-or-Treaters at their home, they should make sure the outdoor light is on. Accept treats at the door – never go inside.
Safe Walking Zone
Sweep leaves from the sidewalks and steps. Make sure you clear the porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over.
Animal Safety
Restrain any household pets. Be cautious around neighbor’s pets and any other animals, no matter how cute they may be!