Does your family know where to meet in an emergency? In the chaos of smoke and flames, there is only time to grab your loved ones and to make sure that each is safe outside. During National Fire Prevention Week, the Las Cruces Fire Department (LCFD) wants residents to have a plan for escape, practice that plan, and take steps for early detection of smoke and fires.
“Firefighters train scenarios hundreds of times,” said Battalion Chief Ted Sweetser, “but families also need to train for emergency scenarios because when it gets hectic, and panic and confusion set in, that’s when tragedies happen – when someone runs back in to find a loved one who is already safe outside.”
During National Fire Prevention Week, from October 6 to 12, fire departments throughout the nation come together to emphasize prevention tips for their communities. This year, LCFD will be coming to several elementary schools and doing trainings for the second and third graders with an inflatable house allowing for firefighter guided tours with practical tips students can use and show their parents.
LCFD teams up the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years – to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”
It’s a hard conversation to have: Where do we go in a fire? Do we meet at the mailbox, at the light pole in our street? Do we know how to open our windows and crawl out? And, it’s not just the conversation, it’s practicing several situations. LCFD recommends at least two routes out of a room if possible.
“Parents must explain to their kids that they don’t look for stuffed animals, their pets or even their parents,” said Sweetser. “Kids need to know that their main priority will be to get outside, away from the smoke.”
Smoke detection is critical for buying time for everyone when a fire happens. It’s recommended to make sure that alarms are tested every month, that batteries are fresh and weren’t harvested from a toy or a remote somewhere in the house. Plus, it’s good for everyone in the house to know what the smoke alarm sounds like, and to know that rushing into the hallway may not be the best bet.
“Sleeping with closed doors is one of the simplest steps to keeping yourself safe from the quick spread of smoke and fires,” said Sweetser.
He continued, “Do they know how to use the back of the hand to test the door handle for heat? Are your kids able to think about a couple different ways out of the home? What about if they are staying at their grandparents house instead for the weekend?”
Sweetser also stressed that situational awareness is a valuable skill. Take a quick couple of seconds to scan for exits in any room and to know where they are when you are with your family at place like the theater or a hotel.
In any emergency, it’s your training that you can rely on to ensure that you and your family know how to react. While LCFD aims to be at every scene within four minutes, it’s your actions in those four minutes – like knowing where to meet as a group – which are a critical component to your safety.
Submitted by the Las Cruces Fire Department. The Las Cruces Fire Department (LCFD) proudly serves New Mexico's second largest city with professional firefighters, who are licensed EMTs, and civilian employees. The department responds to more than 17,000 calls for service annually and is an ISO Class 1 fire department.