By Lori Wirth
City of Madison Fire Department
Knowing what to do in the event of a fire is particularly important for older adults. People age 65 and older are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fires when compared to the general population.
“Remembering When: A Fire and Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults” is a program developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help older adults live safely at home for as long as possible. The City of Madison Fire Department offers the program, which is presented by community educators. If your group would like a presentation, call Lori Wirth at 266-5947.
To increase fire safety for older adults, NFPA and the Madison Fire Department offer the following guidelines:
Keep it low: If possible, consider sleeping in a room on the ground floor in order to make emergency escape easier. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time than it takes for the fire department to arrive.
Sound the alarm: The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping. Make sure smoke alarms are installed in every sleeping room and outside any sleeping areas. If you or anyone in your household has diminished hearing, consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light or vibration to alert you to a fire emergency. Contact Sharon Gmache at NFPA´s Center for High-Risk Outreach for a list of product
manufacturers. Her email address is sgamache@nfpa.org. Sharon has worked with the older adult population for years and is very responsive to questions from educators and the public. She is recognized as a national authority on the topic within the fire service.
Do the drill: Conduct your own, or participate in, regular fire drills to make sure you know what to do in the event of a fire. If you or someone you live with cannot escape alone, designate a member of the household to assist, and decide on backups in case the designee isn’t home. Fire drills are also a good opportunity to make sure everyone is able to hear and respond to smoke alarms.
Open up: Make sure you are able to open all doors and windows in your home. Locks and pins should open easily from the inside. (Some apartment and high-rise buildings have windows designed not to open.) If you have security bars on doors or windows, they should have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened easily. (These devices won’t compromise your safety, but they will enable you to open the window from inside in the event of a fire.) Make sure windows haven’t been nailed shut or sealed shut with paint. If they have, arrange for someone to remove the nails or break the paint seals.
Stay connected: Keep a telephone nearby, especially in your bedroom. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers near the phone so you can communicate with emergency personnel if you’re trapped in your room by fire or smoke.