We all have seen movies or TV shows showing the firefighters running into the burning home and saving all the occupants while running through the flames. Although we do run into burning buildings and we do save people, the reality is, we may not always get there in time. This is the brutal truth. The information you find below may help save lives.
Have you heard the term, “Three and Out!”? Research shows in the average home, about 30 years ago, you had around 17 minutes to escape from a house fire. Now, due to newer home construction materials and the newer materials of furniture inside the home, you have only three to four minutes to exit your home. Now compare this to the amount of time it may take the firefighters to arrive, somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on where you live. Even our training cannot cut that time down to within 3 minutes.
This is where you becoming our hero comes in. As much as we can teach fire prevention, it is up to you to follow through on what we teach. Here are some ideas on how you can help us help you:
- Have working smoke alarms in your home – we can provide you with two by contacting us using the information below
- Make sure you and your family all know at least two ways out of your home and designate a meeting location near the road
- Sleep with your bedroom doors closed (we mentioned this in last month’s newsletter)
- Consider residential sprinkler systems in the home, especially for the elderly or those who are confined
Some other ideas to consider:
- Make sure your address is well lit or consider getting an address sign. Contact us if you want a sign – they are only $15.
- Especially for homebound or the elderly, have a way for us to access your home if you are unable to get to the door
- Make sure your children know what to do in an emergency – how to call 911, their address, their phone number, parents/guardians names
If you have questions or would like further information on ways Willard Fire can serve you, please contact us at 417-685-3114.
