“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” especially here in Chicago. There’s snow on the ground for this long weekend before Christmas, and there’s sure to be more for New Year’s Eve.
Between your shifts and call-outs, I hope you’ll have time with family and many friends over the next 10 days. Can I suggest an idea for a gift from you to them? Give the gift of your knowledge.
Start in your own home by reviewing your escape plan. Ask your spouse or partner, kids and grandkids what one location would they meet at outside if there were an emergency in your home? (Babysitters should know this information, too.) Do your children have your home phone number as the first speed dial or in ICE on their cell phones?
Are there college-age kids in the family or among friends? How about buying them a couple battery-operated candles? I recently met a safety officer from University of Illinois who said they were really pitching the candles that are realistic and available in scents. These make sense for dorm rooms. The Congressional Fire Services Institute is offering battery-operated candles as a fund-raising project.
If you visit your parents, in-laws or grandparents, ask them if they know how to escape quickly from each room in their home and where would they meet outside. Do they each have an updated emergency card in their wallets with your contact info or someone who knows to notify you? Consider helping them organize a list of items to take if they need to evacuate in an emergency; prescription medicine, reading glasses and a wallet would be a minimum.
If you’re visiting neighbors, attending parties or meeting up with friends from church, it doesn’t hurt to bring up fire safety in a brief conversation. Do they have working fire and smoke detectors and fire extinguishers? If they had to evacuate in an emergency, what would they take?
Many people today have part-time or second jobs. How can you share your concerns for safety with those you meet? No matter what your job, no matter if you are on-duty or off, you can ask about safety in a home or business. If you work in a manufacturing facility or office, ask your co-workers if they have working fire and smoke detectors and extinguishers in their homes.
This has been one of the worst years for multiple fire fatalities in this country in a long time. If your day job is in the fire and emergency services or in industry in anyway, then make a personal commitment to bring up smoke detectors, exit plans and other safe practices in conversations with those you encounter during the holidays. Talking about fire prevention isn’t limited to October. ‘Tis the season of sharing and caring.
Have a wonderful, Merry Christmas!
December 23rd, 2007 @ 12:55 am
Thank you Janet for posting the article on what we can do for our families. It has often been said that we are our own worst enemies in many respects. How often do we talk of being there for others and we forget that our own family or relatives may need some fire prevention or safety when it comes from us- THE PROFESSIONALS!!!
Not only can we do some work on the home front with respect to fire prevention, we need to continue the safety crusade on the job at all times. Keep those seat belts on and be safe this Holiday to see the new year
December 27th, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
again cigarettes have been the cause of some of these terrible loss of life fires. the nfpa projects a ten percent drop in fire deaths if all states enact fire safe cigarette laws why are some state fire service leaders not acting to engage their legislators . where else can the fire service reap such a huge reward as a ten percent drop in fire fatalities nearly twenty states have passed such laws many will go on line this year.