|
|
Fire Escape Plan
Practice Your Family's
Emergency Escape Plan!
October is Fire Prevention month and is designed to remind residents that fire safety starts with them.
But it is important to practice your Emergency Escape Plan with your
family throughout the year. Fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated 1.6 million fires during 2006. These fires caused 3,245 civilian deaths and 16,400 injuries, according to a recently released National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) report. Installing and maintaining smoke detectors, limiting clutter around cooking areas and routine attention to electrical cords, water heaters, furnaces and other mechanical devices as well as proper disposal of smoking materials,
and using candles safely are just a few ways to limit your families’ risk to home fires.
 The month of October is a great time to
remember to talk with your family to make sure your home and loved ones are safe. The best way to prevent tragedies is to practice escape drills from various locations within your home. Start with working on the escape routes from bedrooms. Discuss with children two ways out of each room and where they should go once they get outside a smoke filled structure. We call this spot a meeting place. It could be a tree in the front yard, the end of the driveway, or the mail box. The most important aspect of picking a spot is that everyone is clear on where it is. We ask children in schools, "if you get out and are in the back yard and mom or dad are in the front yard, where do they think you are?" Everyone needs to exit the structure and go to the meeting place. The final part is to have the kids' lie down, push the detector to start the drill, and
discuss with the children what they might do if a way out happens to be blocked.
Firefighters from the City of Niles and Niles Charter Twp Fire Departments work together every year to put out fires before they start. Firefighters spend the month of October in the schools providing safety education as well as countless hours at the Niles Apple Festival. The most successful education though occurs at home. Parents need to talk about fire safety at home to assure safety. Residents with questions can
call their respective fire departments. We are always available to assist you in protecting your family.
|
|
