MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- National Fire Prevention Week is just around the corner and this year’s campaign is “Every second counts, plan 2 ways out!” During this key week of the year attention is focused on promoting fire safety and prevention. However, the Malmstrom Fire Emergency Services Flight fire prevention office requests individuals practice fire safety all year long.
Believe it or not, many potential fire hazards go undetected because people simply do not take steps to fireproof their homes. The risks of fire are real. The U.S. Fire Administration gathers statistics about home fires and they are startling. Every 10 seconds somewhere in the United States there is a fire. Every 60 seconds a fire department is called to a home fire. Annually, an average of 2,600 Americans lose their life in a fire and 13,000 others are injured. Everyone should take fire safety seriously.
Parents can do a lot of things to try to make their homes and families safe from fire danger. Below are a few tips that may help minimize the chance of a fire or injury in homes.
Smoke detectors come first. There is no safety item more important than smoke detectors. Individuals should ensure they have working smoke detectors. Homes should have at least one smoke detector on every level of the house and one outside every bedroom. They should be tested once a month and the batteries changed twice a year if they are equipped with replaceable batteries. In base housing, the majority of smoke detectors are hard wired. If not hard wired, smoke detector batteries should be changed every time clocks are reset for daylight saving time.
Keep combustibles away from heat sources. In the kitchen, make sure dish towels, hot pads and curtains are kept away from heating elements on the stove. If space heaters are in bathrooms or bedrooms make sure they have plenty of clearance around them and towels and blankets are kept well away. Avoid overloading electrical outlets and make sure that no electrical cords or extension cords are run under carpets. Ensure matches and lighters are kept well out of reach of children. Never leave a lighted candle unsupervised by an adult and keep space around them.
Invite EDITH. The acronym EDITH is used by fire professionals and stands for “exit drills in the home.” Have an escape plan for homes with every room having two exits (think door and window). Make sure that if there are second floor bedrooms, a plan for safe exiting is in place if a window is used. Define a place for family members to meet outside in case of fire so everyone is accounted for. Then, practice the escape plan with the family once or twice a year to make sure everyone knows what to do in case of fire. Using a family night for this exercise is a good idea.
The 2017 Fire Prevention Week activities calendar will be available next week, so feel free to come out and participate in the events. Always remember a little prevention effort can go a long way. Planning for an emergency now will make responding to crisis later much easier.
Commanders should receive their fire safety support packages this week and are asked to ensure all their personnel are briefed throughout the year on fire safety practices.
For further support or questions, call the Fire Emergency Services Flight fire prevention office at 731-4836, 731-4100 or 731-4098.