Promote Your Community Event - Submit Event Flyer for publication
Submit Event Flyer
Advertise your business
7th
Jun 2023
Jun 2023
“Sound the Alarm” Program Promotes Fire Safety
By Eric San Juan
It’s easy to take your smoke detectors for granted. After all, the only time you’re meant to notice them is in an emergency.
But they are one of the most important ways to keep you and your family safe, a message the American Red Cross has been promoting through its Sound the Alarm program. Mayor Carmen Amato and Council President John Bacchione recently attended an event for the program, through which free smoke detectors are installed in homes across the country.
“We are extremely fortunate as a community that the American Red Cross has been in our community numerous times over the years to implement this program,” Amato said.
Kim Goetz, Executive Director of the Central New Jersey Chapter of the Red Cross, was also on hand to walk town officials through details of the program.
Good fire safety practices are essential. Every day in the United States, seven people are killed in a home fire, with senior citizens twice as likely to die in a fire than other Americans. Some 36 people are injured every day as a result of home fires, and upwards of $7 billion in property damage occurs each year due to fires. In fact, house fires kill more people annually than all natural disasters combined.
The Sound the Alarm campaign urges homeowners to test their smoke alarms regularly – they suggest monthly tests – and to practice a fire escape plan.
According to the Red Cross, your risk of dying in a house fire can be cut in half by having a working smoke detector. Those in a house fire may have as little as two minutes to escape before the smoke becomes fatal, therefore it’s essential to have a clear plan on how to get out as quickly and safely as possible.
There are ways to minimize the risk.
First and foremost, you should always have working smoke detectors installed in your home. They are a critical tool in identifying a fire before it gets out of control. Make sure they are tested regularly to ensure they are functioning properly and replace any batteries as needed. If you do not have working smoke detectors, reach out to the Red Cross at the website listed below for details on how to get some via the Sound
The Alarm program.
Second, install a carbon monoxide detector if you have fuel-burning appliances like furnaces or space heaters in your home. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause serious health issues or death if not detected quickly.
These days, many smoke detectors also double as carbon monoxide detectors, so look for models that fulfill both functions.
Third, practice fire safety habits at home by teaching your family how to respond when the alarm goes off and educating them on what to do in case of a fire. Everyone should know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch on fire, and the household should have an escape plan in place that includes two ways out of every room.
When a home fire strikes, it can spread fast. According to the Department of Homeland Security, it can take as little as 30 seconds for a small fire to turn into a major one. That’s why it’s important to plan your options on how you’d exit the house in the case of a fire, and to practice them from time to time.
Fourth, be sure you have a working fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers have a life expectancy, usually between 5 and 15 years. They will “go bad” and cease to function, so replace yours every five years or so, just to be safe.
Fifth, never leave candles or open flames unattended (especially in bedrooms) and keep anything flammable away from any heat sources. Make sure all cords are tucked away from potential contact with furniture or other combustible materials. Also, limit the use of extension cords, as they can easily be overloaded and cause a short circuit that could spark a fire.
And finally be ready to call 911 in the case of an emergency, and have other emergency numbers handy where you can get to them right away. It might save your home – or your life.
For more information on the Sound the Alarm initiative, visit https://www.redcross.org/local/new-jersey/about-us/our-work/home-fire-campaign/home-fire-safety-visit.html
In the meantime, Amato said he is working with Goetz and the Red Cross to have the organization once again do detector installations in town.