Fire Prevention Week

Every fall, the Hollis Fire Department spends a great deal of time visiting the schools in the community to teach children about fire safety. Every October, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) designates fire Prevention week. Fire departments across the nation take part to deliver the important safety messages related to fire and burn prevention. It is our time to be proactive, to keep fires and fire related injuries form happening. This year, NFPA has chosen “Practice Your Escape Plan!” as its theme for Fire Prevention Week. On a national scale, only 23% of families have an escape plan and have practiced it.

Do you remember fire safety classes when you were in grade school? All communities approach the subject a little differently. Fire departments know that by reaching out to the community youth, they reach their parents too. In the last couple of weeks, children in grades 1-4 have been learning how to make a plan and how to practice it. Children from preschool to grad 6 will all learn the importance of escape planning and other safety messages in the next few weeks. Ask your children what they have learned and help us to reinforce their importance at home.

We tell the students that fires don’t usually happen in our home, but if they do, we want them to be prepared to know what to do. This includes the middle of the night when they are sleepy and need to react quickly. The first step is drawing the escape plan. Graph paper makes this easy and younger children need assistance to visualize their home’s layout. Don’t forget to draw in the placement smoke detectors on each floor. This is how your family will be alerted of a fire situation in the home. There should be two ways out of every room in the house. One will probably be a door and the other is a window. Once outside, a meeting place should be established to confirm everyone is out of the house safely. Children should practice the details of the plan and how to decide which way to go. Is the door hot? Is there smoke? How do they get the attention of someone on the ground if their bedroom is on an upper floor? There are many questions we can not answer for students because everyone’s living situation is different. Only parents can best advise their children about how to get out in the safest manner.

Children, older adults, and people with disabilities are especially at risk in home fire situations. Special attention should be paid to these members of your family in planning efforts to ensure their safety. Call 911 to alert the fire department fro outside the home. Remember to emphasize “Get Out and Stay Out!” There are no good reasons to return to a home that is on fire. Also, check you house number from the street. Is it clear and visible from both directions on the street?

Has your family practiced their escape plan? What is your family doing this weekend? Any amount of time you take to plan and practice your families escape plan is time well spent. For more information and interactive learning for you and your family, visit www.nfpa.org and visit their public education page. Please contact the Hollis Fire Department with questions or assistance with escape planning in you home.