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Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 68F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..
A few clouds. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Firefighters working to keep the community safe provided smoke detectors to area families.
Firefighters working to keep the community safe provided smoke detectors to area families.
AUSTIN — The Austin Volunteer Fire Department recently conducted a fire safety and smoke detector survey at the Austin Area School. Over 53% of the students and faculty participated in the survey which asked if their homes had a working smoke detector, are there smoke detectors on every habitable floor in their home and does the family have a fire escape plan.
Based on these surveys and needs, over a dozen smoke detectors have been provided and installed by Austin firefighters. Firefighters cannot express enough the importance of having working smoke detectors in homes. According to Second Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Brooks, “smoke detectors save lives. They play a vital role in reducing fire deaths, injuries, and property damage. By installing smoke detectors in homes, we are doing our part to make families in our community safe.”
Brooks noted smoke detectors fail most of the time because of missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. “Those smoke detectors in the drawer or laying on the counter or dresser with no batteries are of no use during a fire,” says Brooks.
Residents are encouraged to test their smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries every six months. The National Fire Protection Association recommends smoke detectors be replaced every ten years.
Assisting Brooks is Firefighter and Junior Program Advisor Matt Main who said “our goal is to get a smoke detector in the hands of every student at the school and to focus on our community. Kids tug at the heart strings when we think of home fires but the elderly are also a big concern when it comes to fire safety. There is no such thing as having too many smoke detectors in your home.”
NFPA recommends one detector on every floor including the basement. Each bedroom should have one fire detector inside the room and one on the outside of each sleeping area. Firefighters urge residents never to ignore the sound of a smoke alarm. Get out if you hear the beep and call 911. Smoke detectors are of the utmost importance when it comes to saving lives in home fires.
Kathy Brooks, AVFD’s Board secretary/treasurer and chairperson of the Smoke Detector Program, says educational materials for fire escape plans were provided to those families who indicated they had no plan. She said “having a plan of action in the event of a fire can help save lives. It can also help firefighters put out a fire more quickly since they won’t have to worry about rescuing anyone from a burning building when they arrive.” Families are encouraged to work together to be better prepared for an emergency.
Firefighters also noted without grant funding from the Firefighters Charitable Foundation and other donations, this project would not be possible. AVFD continues to investigate additional funding resources for its ongoing fire safety and smoke detector program. For more information, call (814) 331-3306.
Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You!
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