OCTOBER 2, 2009 - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed October 4-10 Fire Prevention Week in Michigan to encourage homeowners to focus on burn awareness and prevention, and keeping their homes safe from the leading causes of home fires.
"Fire safety must be practiced all year long and now is an especially good time for families to identify hazards in their homes that could result in burn injuries," said Michigan State Fire Marshal Ronald R. Farr. "Make sure you have working smoke alarms and have set up a home fire escape route - parents and children must be constantly aware of fire safety."
The Michigan Bureau of Fire Services joins the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other state and national organizations in recognizing Fire Prevention Week. This year's campaign "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned," places extra emphasis on ways to keep homes fire safe, and what can be done to prevent painful burns.
"The most common types of burn injuries result from fire or flame burns, scalds and contact burns," said Farr. "Burns are not only painful but can result in serious scarring, disability, or death. When we take extra precaution in our homes to ensure that the curling iron is out of children's reach or hot stove tops are never left unattended, such injuries are preventable. Keeping our homes safe from fire and preventing devastating burn injuries is a healthy change we can make happen now."
Farr suggests the following simple safety rules to stay fire smart:
- Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.
- Have a 3-foot "kid-free" zone around the stove.
- Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.
- Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
- Use caution when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps, heaters.
- Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object in the outlet.
- Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.
- Teach every family member the "Stop, Drop, and Roll" technique in case clothing catches on fire.
- Set the hot water heater temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
- Install anti-scald valves on shower heads and faucets.
Farr also advises a thorough inspection of home heating and electrical systems. Heating equipment fires are second (behind cooking) for reported home fires. Space heaters (fixed or portable) result in far more fires and losses than central heating devices, usually caused by the space heater being too close to things that could burn. Faulty electrical distribution and lighting equipment such as faulty wiring, switches or outlets, cords or plugs, lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs are commonly responsible for home fires, burns and deaths. Functioning smoke alarms provide the critical early warning needed to escape a home fire. Install and maintain a working smoke alarm in each bedroom and on every level of the home. Test smoke alarm batteries every month and change them at least once a year. Consider installing a 10-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened.
"Take time to develop and review your family's home escape plan, and then practice it to make sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency," said Farr. "In less than three minutes, your home could be totally engulfed in flames. Every second counts and members of your family should know how to react quickly and calmly. This only happens when everyone knows what to do if a fire does occur and practices their plan routinely."
According to the latest NFPA research, in 2008 roughly 3,000 people -- eight people every day -- died as a result of home fires and burns. More than 200,000 individuals were seen in the nation's emergency rooms for home fire burn injuries - one person every 40 minutes. U.S. fire departments responded to more than 386,500 home fires -- one every 81 seconds. Cooking continues to be the leading cause of home fires (40 percent) and related home fire injuries (36 percent) with the kitchen the leading location where home fires start. However, bedrooms and living/family rooms are the leading areas of origin for home fire deaths.
For additional information about preventing fires and staying safe, go to the NFPA's official Fire Prevention Week website at www.firepreventionweek.org.
Read more releases from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
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