Fighting Fires With Alarms
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Del.icio.usHonolulu Fire Department partnered with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186 to install smoke alarms Nov. 30-Dec. 5 in the homes of about 100 elderly residents, including four in Mililani and six in Wahiawa.
The effort was part of HFD’s Smoke Alarms for Everyone Program, which has installed 700 alarms so far, using an HMSA grant.
“We realized very quickly that we needed to expand our base,” said Capt. Terry Seelig, “not just to get the grants to buy them but to have an educational component. If people don’t understand how a smoke alarm works or how it can go off accidentally, it’s not going to be as effective.”
Seniors are at higher risk for injury or fatality, he added, because of impaired ability to sense or get away from a fire. “That’s why the smoke alarm is an essential tool, because they need to have as much notification as possible to give them time to escape.”
To stay safe, Seelig suggested that residents assess their homes for alarms, and install them “near every bedroom and on every floor.” Mount them high and away from the wall. “That’s the nature of smoke,” he said. “It will rise rapidly and start to bank, so you want to be alerted to the danger as soon as possible.”
Additional tips:
1) Read manufacturer’s information and maintain the alarm’s sensor and change the batteries at least once a year;
2) have a fire escape plan for the family, and share it with guests, and
3) never go back inside during a fire.
“We really want to see fire alarms in every home on the island.”
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