SIDNEY — It’s time for Fire Prevention Week, and from Oct. 4-10, the Sidney Department of Fire & Emergency Services is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind local residents to “hear the beep where you sleep.”
During this year’s fire safety campaign, the fire department will be spreading the word that smoke alarms should be located in at least every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including the basement.
According to the latest NFPA research, half of home fire deaths are a result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., which is when most people are asleep. A working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half. Smoke alarms save lives.
“I would like to take this opportunity to help everyone understand the importance of maintaining and replacing smoke detectors,” said Deputy Chief Cameron Haller. “Consumer Reports recommends replacing your smoke detectors every 10 years. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.”
In addition to smoke detectors, a fire escape plan, that is developed and practiced, will provide the best chance of survival in the event of a fire in the home. Another key element is to sleep with your bedroom door in the closed and latched position. Smoke from an unfriendly fire is the byproduct of fire that is the most deadly. A closed door will stop or slow the movement of smoke in your home. The closed door permits an individual to become alert in clean air and make decisions accordingly.
Based on the NFPA’s statistics, this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:
• Fires that originated in a bedroom result in a quarter of all home fire deaths.
• Smoke alarms with missing, disconnected, or dead batteries are usually why they fail to operate properly.
• Three out of five home fire deaths happen from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• According to an NFPA survey, only one-third of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
Haller also wants to remind residents that the Department of Fire & Emergency Services has a supply of free smoke detectors for low- and moderate-income households. Simply stop by Fire Station 1 at 222 W. Poplar St. to find out if you qualify and pick up your free smoke detector.
