REDUCING FIRE FATALITIES

PRESS RELEASE

BURNEY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

REDUCING FIRE FATALITIES

PRESS RELEASE

BURNEY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT



CONTACT:    Robert C. May            RELEASE DATE: 04/01/07

REDUCING FIRE FATALITIES

Fire Chiefs Plead With Media For Help In Reducing Fire Fatalities

The International Association of Fire Chiefs is pleading with the media to help them inform the public of the high number of house fires with fatalities that have occurred since the beginning of the year. Within the first two weeks of February 2007 alone, 59 people had perished in house fires in 17 states.

These are not just statistics; these are lives - lives of the people we serve in our communities. These are personal tragedies that those in the fire service feels every time a life is lost. Help us prevent these needless tragedies. Help us get the word out to those communities that we serve. Our citizens now have more protection available for their homes than ever before and yet people are losing their lives because they are not taking the protection seriously.

Please help us pass along these life-saving suggestions:

·    Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be sure they are working properly.
·    Have an escape plan with a meeting place.
·    Once you exit your home, DO NOT RETURN. Too many people lose their lives going back into a burning home.
·    Stoves are not made for heating homes.
·    Supplemental heating devices should be used and maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. Keep combustibles clear. Do not leave supplemental heating devices unattended.
·    If you are burning wood in your fireplace, make sure your chimneys are properly maintained. That goes for your furnace as well.
·    If candles are necessary, use them in a safe environment in a fireproof container and away from children. Do not leave them unattended.
·    And for the long term, consider getting a residential fire sprinkler. According to statistics, the risk of death by fire is reduced by 82 percent when smoke detectors are accompanied with residential fire sprinklers.

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