Greenfield Fire Territory Firefighter/Paramedic Eran Uptegrove (left) and Firefighter/EMT James Guthrie (right) were a couple of the GFT firefighters installing smoke alarms in the community.
HANCOCK COUNTY — October is officially Fire Prevention Month, a time for local fire departments to share safety tips with community residents and help install smoke alarms where needed.
The goal of Fire Prevention Month is to raise fire safety awareness and help protect homes and families.
In 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) named the second week of October Fire Prevention Week in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. That led to celebrating a fire prevention week and month by spreading fire safety awareness and educating families, students and communities across the United States with help from partners and local fire departments.
Fire statistics show almost three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. For families who do not have working smoke alarms, they are encouraged to contact their local fire department who can provide them and help get the alarms installed properly.
As part of the Greenfield Fire Territory (GFT) commitment to community safety, they place a large emphasis on fire prevention and detection, public safety officer Luke Eichholtz said.
This past Saturday GFT took part in a yearly smoke detector battery change. Crews visited neighborhoods that have a high population of elderly residents or residents who may have trouble safely changing hard to reach batteries.
“In all I believe they assisted a total of 28 households in Greenfield,” Eichholtz said. “We also have smoke detectors and bed shakers (for hearing impaired citizens) that are available year round.”
Those needing assistance for a new smoke alarm can fill out a form available at GFT head quarters. Additional help can be arranged should a resident require more assistance by calling one of the GFT stations.
“We have also installed 21 smoke detectors throughout the year for people who needed assistance,” Eichholtz said.
Sugar Creek Township Fire Department Life Safety and Public Education official Beth Gulley noted in today’s homes people are lucky if they have three minutes to escape from a fire.
“Being fire safe only takes a few minutes, but not being fire safe effects a lifetime,” she said.
One of the safest and smartest things families can do is make sure to have working smoke alarms on every level of the home and to make sure all smoke alarms are under 10 years old. Gulley noted no smoke alarm hard wired or battery operated is good beyond 10 years.
She also said it’s important to test alarms once a month and change the batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
People can also be prepared with fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers help stop small fires from causing more damage and should be kept easily accessible on every level of the home, especially in the kitchen and garage.
Fire officials note it’s best to ensure people know how to operate a fire extinguisher before needing to use one.
Another important thing for families to do is make sure all homes have created a home escape plan. This means making sure to think about how a family will get out of a home if there is a fire and people can’t use normal escape routes.
That includes making everyone can evacuate. Something else others might not know about but should, is how important it is to sleep with your bedroom doors closed.
“This offers a little more protection,” Gulley said.
The NFPA’s 2023 campaign for Fire Prevention Month is “Cooking Safety Starts with You.” Fire safety officials note, in a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy.
Officials note, the top cause of home fires is unattended cooking which is why people should stay with what they are cooking to avoid issues. People who are tired or under the influence of medication or alcohol should avoid cooking. If someone is cooking and must leave officials say it’s best to turn off what is being cooked.
The month of October also notes the change in weather with cool temperatures coming. Fire officials say this is a great time to prepare for winter and to make sure items that keep a family warm are working well.
That means to make sure the furnace, fire place or wood burning stove maintenance is up to date.
