Dear Safety Network Member, The mild winter has graced us with fewer heater/fireplace/ash disposal related fires. For this we are grateful and also commend the public for your diligence.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME We “spring forward” with our clock settings this Sunday morning at 2AM (which becomes 3AM) as the United States goes on Daylight Saving Time on March 11.
IT’S TIME TO CHANGE BATTERIES You may wonder why we continually remind you to change your batteries in Smoke Detectors and CO Monitors every single time you swap on or off Daylight Saving Time. We join the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), FEMA, and numerous state and local agencies in this twice yearly reminder because it is the least expensive single action you can take that has a high probability of saving your family’s lives in the event of a fire.
Detectors and alarms don’t prevent fires; they make fires more survivable by giving you time to escape. Two-thirds of the average 2,400 fire deaths that occur in the U.S. annually happen in homes where there is no functioning smoke alarms. Notice the key word “functioning”. The main reason smoke alarms don’t work is a depleted or missing battery. I have four hard-wired (to my alarm system) detectors my home and two battery powered units like you can get at any big box, home improvements or hardware store. I’m changing batteries this week-end.
FOCUS ON FIRE SAFETY FOR OLDER ADULTS Notice the topic speaks to “older adults” not “old adults.” The facts are that as we age our risk of injury or death in a fire goes up dramatically. An American over the age of 65 is twice as likely to suffer this fate than the population in general, and by age 75 the probability doubles again to four times the national average.
The rules don’t change for us as we grow older, it’s mostly that our bodies are, on average, less able to react and respond as quickly or endure as much exposure to the hazards of fire as we once could. So, we need to pay more attention to the rules. With a few simple steps, older people can dramatically reduce their risk of death and injury from fire.
These facts, combined with the knowledge that adults ages 50 and older are entering and caring for this high risk group, inspired the U. S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to develop a national public safety campaign for adults ages 50 and older, their families and caregivers.
For more about changing batteries, safety tips for those of us who are growing older or have a parent who is, and more great information please follow the link to U.S. Fire Administration I am over 50, so the “we” in this paragraph is not an editorial “we”, it’s a “I’m a part of this group and have found the information contained on the USFA website to be useful - we.”
Eldon Ledoux, Public Information Officer St. George Fire Protection District 14141 Airline Highway, Suite 1-H Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Direct Line (225) 454-6573
Cell Phone (225) 279-1493
Direct FAX (225) 615-8819
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