This family event combines safety with a whole lot of fun! Join E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety, WOOD TV8’s Chief Meteorologist Bill Steffen and Jake the Fire Safety Dogfor the 13th Annual Family Fire Safety Day on October 22nd from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Free nine volt batteries and smoke alarms will be available (while supplies last) and you can visit with Portage firefighters and tour their fire truck. If you need a smoke alarm installed in your owner occupied home, call toll free 1-844-978-4400 or email [email protected].
Family Fire Safety Day
Saturday October 22nd – 10am – 2pm
Lowe’s in Portage – 5108 S. Westnedge Ave.
Join the E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire SafetyTeam and Jake the Fire Safety Dog this Saturday at Lowe’s in Portage for the 13th Annual Family Fire Safety Day from 10am – 2pm. Free smoke alarms and 9-volt batteries will be distributed, while supplies last.
It’s Fire Prevention Week! Listen as E.S.C.A.P.E. founder Firefighter Michael McLeieer talks with Jim McKinney on the Morning Show on AM 590 WKZOradio and shares tips to prevent home fires and ways to stay safe!
E.S.C.A.P.E.‘s founder Firefighter Michael McLeieer joins Jeremy Lawrence in the WKZO AM 590 studios this morning. Together they talk about fire safety and share the upcoming appearance of Jake the Fire Safety Dog at the Kalamazoo Home & Garden Expo Show Friday March 13th inside the EPS Securitybooth #137 & 138 from 4pm – 6pm.
As the temps drop, the chance for a home fire increases. In fact, heating is the #2 cause for home fires. Firefighter Michael McLeieer from E.S.C.A.P.E. talks with Jeremy Lawrence on the AM 590 WKZO Morning Show this morning.
Michigan ranks #4 in the country for home fire deaths so far in 2015. The most common factor in most fire fatalities were homes that did not have working smoke alarms.
Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire by as much as 60%.
Adults over 65 are TWICE as likely to die in a home fire and seniors over age 85 are FOUR times as likely to die in a home fire.
Here are some additional fire safety reminders to practice in the home:
Give space heaters space. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can catch fire (furniture, drapes, newspapers). Unplug space heaters when you leave the room or you go to bed.
Smoke alarms save lives. Install and maintain smoke alarms and batteries on every level of the home and inside and outside the sleeping areas. Replace alarms which are older than 10 years in age and change the batteries twice a year (when the clocks are moved forward in the Spring or moved back in the Fall).
Keep older adults safe from fire. Older adults, especially those with mobility issues, should consider sleeping on the main level of the home and near an exit, so rapid escape is possible during fire or smoke conditions.
For more information on fire safety, or learn how to obtain a free smoke alarm to be installed in your home, contact www.escapeinc.org email at [email protected]or call 1-877-707-1718.
Interview with E.S.C.A.P.E. founder Firefighter Michael McLeieer on the Wayne Powers Show on AM 590 WKZO – 02/12/2015 at 6:50 a.m.
Each winter, many people are injured from exposure in cold water. Skaters and ice fisherman fall through the ice; boaters and canoeists capsize.
Here are some tips to stay safe this winter:
Personal Safety
Always wear a personal floatation device (PFD) when boating, any time of the year. Waterlogged clothing makes it difficult to keep your head above the surface of the water.
Dress Properly
Clothing that is made from man-made fibers does not protect the wearer for long when wet. Wool insulates better from the effects of hypothermia when dry or wet. Keep your head covered since 50% of body heat is lost through the head.
How Thick Is Safe Ice?
Ice on moving water in rivers, streams and brooks is never safe. The thickness of ice on ponds and lakes depends upon water currents or springs, depth and natural objects such as tree stumps or rocks. Daily changes in temperature cause the ice to expand and contract, which affects its strength. Because of these factors, no one can declare the ice to be absolutely “safe”. The only safe ice is at an ice skating arena!
What Do You Do If Someone Falls Through The Ice?
Call 911 immediately. Make sure properly trained and equipped rescue personnel are alerted to respond.
DO NOT go out onto the ice. Many would-be rescuers have become victims themselves.
Reach, Throw or Row. Extend a branch, pole or ladder to the victim. Throw them a buoyant object such as a life ring or float tied to a rope. If a boat is nearby, row out to the victim or push it towards them.
What Do You Do If You Fall Into Cold Water?
Get into HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Position). Bring your knees to your chest, hold your arms to your sides and clasp your hands. Cover your head if possible to protect your body from heat loss.
DO NOT try to swim unless a boat, floating object, or the shore is close by. Swimming causes warm blood to circulate to your arms and legs, where it cools off quickly and reduces survival time by as much as 35-50%!
If you are in the water with other people, huddle tightly together with your arms around each other to preserve body heat.
How Cold Is Cold Water?
Any water that is cooler than normal body temperature (98.6 degrees F) is, by definition, cold water. Cold water drains away your body heat 25 to 30 times faster than air! Cold water does not have to be icy, it just has to be colder than you are to cause hypothermia. The lower the temperature of the water, the faster the onset of hypothermia.
What Is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia is the excessive lowering of body temperature. Core body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit causes shivering, confusion, and loss of muscle strength. If not treated and reversed, hypothermia leads to unconsciousness and death. Safety experts estimate that half of all drowning victims die from the fatal effects of cold water, not from water-filled lungs!
