Do You Have Smoke Alarm?
HSCBA Launches Community Program
The tragic loss of life due to fires in our community this year has moved an action minded citizen to approach one of our community leaders offering $1,000.00 to launch an effort to do something in the hopes of saving lives from fires. The two agreed upon a program aimed at getting smoke alarms into homes along with a simple educational program on the importance of having an escape plan in case of fire.
HSCBA was offered the opportunity to undertake this community effort and quickly added $250.00, a member contributed another $100.00, bringing the total to $1,350.00 to begin the program. The money has been used to purchase 256 smoke alarms from Kidde, a leading manufacturer of smoke alarms.
The Program The program is focused on getting smoke detectors into homes and the importance of having an escape plan – knowing what to do when the alarm goes off. People will be asked to attend a fifteen minute presentation (see dates locations at the end of this article) before receiving their free smoke alarm. An overview of installation instructions specific to the Kidde smoke alarm will be presented along with materials for families to make their own escape plans, a refrigerator magnet instructing what do when the alarm goes off. Central Bank Holts Summit is providing the magnets. |   |
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Who Should Attend
We are targeting residences with children, the elderly and the disabled, residences where every second counts and having an escape plan can be the difference between life an death. Every 65043 resident in need of a working smoke alarm for their home should attend. Attendees will be asked to provide their names and addresses, HSCBA will send a followup postcard to attendees.
Program Dates and Locations:
Thursday, June 11, 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. @ Shiloh United Methodist Church,
Lower level entrance behind church, Route AA
Saturday, June 13, 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. @ Union Hill Baptist Church Activities Building
Lower level, parking behind church, South Summit Drive
This program will continue as long as smoke alarms and funding is available.
If you would like to contribute to extend the program beyond the current supplies, you may send a contribution to HSCBA Smoke Alarm Program, P.O. Box 391, Holts Summit, Missouri 65043.
*** HSCBA wishes to thank Kidde USA, the National Fire Protection Association (for use of educational materials) and the anonymous benefactor who called us to action. If everyone does what is within their ability to do, the job will get done.
If Your Smoke Alarms Sounds, Do You Know What to Do?
Your ability to get out during a fire (or other emergency) depends on warning from a smoke alarm AND advance planning. The following tips are excerpted from National Fire Protection Association materials.
• Make a plan to escape. Involve everyone in your household, inspect all possible exits and escape routes. If you have children, consider drawing a floor plan marking two ways out of each room,
• Install smoke alarms. (If you do not have a working smoke alarm, please see Page 1 to get a free alarm and escape plan materials.)
• Practice your escape plan, make sure everyone in the household understands the plan.
• Choose an outside meeting place a safe distance in front of your home.
• Teach children to call 9-1-1, make the call from a neighbor’s house or a cell phone once safely outside.
• If there are very young children, older adults or household members with mobility problems, assign someone to help them escape when the alarm sounds. Assign a backup in case the designated helper is not home when the alarm sounds.
• If you have security bars have emergency release devices and that deadbolt locks can be opened quickly from inside your home.
• Tell guests and visitors about your family’s fire escape plan.
• Once you are out, stay out! If someone is unaccounted for, tell the 9-1-1 dispatcher when you call for help. Under no circumstances should you go back into a burning building.