Home Fire Safety
As my time
as an intern for the American Red Cross is coming to a close, I wanted to share
one of my favorite experiences. Two weeks ago, I was sending out our yearly
newsletters when Laura informed me that a camera crew would be there in an hour
for an interview. She then asked me which part I wanted to say on camera and I froze.
I had never been on camera before and the thought terrified me, but I was also
very eager to try!
Together, we
were informing Lubbock residents about the Home Fire Campaign and the
importance of installing smoke alarms. The goal of this Campaign is to reduce
home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. I gave some tips about home fire
safety and wanted to share those here as well:
- Stay in the kitchen when cooking
- Keep anything that could catch fire more than 3 feet away from a heat source
- Never smoke in bed
- Plug appliances directly into wall outlets
- Keep matches and lighters safely stored away from children
- Create and practice an escape plan twice a year
- Change smoke alarm batteries every year
- Replace smoke alarms every ten years
A component
of the Campaign is Sound the Alarm. Red
Cross volunteers and partners help install free smoke alarms, replace batteries
and help families create escape plans. In Lubbock alone, we have installed over 1,500 smoke alarms.
With home
fires being the largest type of disaster that the American Red Cross responds
to, I couldn’t think of a better message to share in our community. I’ve
definitely learned new things from this Campaign and hope to share that knowledge.
“Together, we can Sound the Alarm
about fire safety and help save lives.”
