Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
October is fire prevention month and state officials have begun a campaign designed to help families successfully prepare for fire emergencies.
A press release from the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) notes that you and your family may have less than two minutes to safely escape your home during a fire. Every year in Oregon, state officials said, an average of 32 people die in home fires.
The OSFM campaign is called “Plan, Practice, and Be Prepared with a Home Fire Escape Plan” and it aims to educate and highlight the importance of having and practicing a plan.
“Home fire escape plans save lives,” said Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple in the press release. “This October, we ask everyone to create a plan and practice it with all household members to be prepared if there is a fire inside their home.”
Here are some steps suggested by the OSFM:
Ensure the home has working smoke alarms and check them monthly.
Make an escape map showing every window and door and share it with all residents.
Establish two ways out of every room.
Designate an outside meeting place a safe distance from the home.
Plan for everyone: If you have children, elderly, or differently-abled people in your home, plan for their escape. Consider other challenges such as second-story bedrooms.
Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year during the night and day.
Get out and stay out if your smoke alarm sounds; never go back inside for others or pets.
Call 9-1-1 when you’re safely outside.
For more resources about home fire escape plans and a social media campaign to help educate and prepare Oregonians, go to https://www.oregon.gov:443/osfm/education/Pages/fire-prevention-month.aspx.
