Commentary: Fire Department offers sound advice throughout Fire Prevention Week and beyond

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chris Waldrip
  • 100th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  It's 3 a.m. You and your family awaken to the sound of a beeping smoke alarm.

You're tired and confused from the effects of the smoke, but know you need to get to safety. However, when you head for the front door, you find that escape route is blocked by fire that's spreading by the second. What do you do?

While this scenario is one I hope you never have to encounter, the statistics tell us that every day, many people do. According to the National Fire Protection Association, one home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds in 2010. That added up to 369,500 home structure fires, causing 13,350 injuries and 2,640 deaths.

We also know that most fatal fires usually kill one or two people. However, in 2010, 19 home fires killed five or more people, resulting in 101 deaths.

The numbers are scary, but there is something you can do to help ensure your family's safety should a fire break out in your home: Have Two Ways Out!

RAF Mildenhall Fire Emergency Services teamed up with NFPA during this year's Fire Prevention Week to urge residents to "Have Two Ways Out!" The theme focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice.

Only one-third of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan, and of the three-quarters of Americans who do have an escape plan, less than half actually practiced it.

Fire is unpredictable. Seconds and minutes can mean the difference between life and death. We want to ensure that RAF Mildenhall members know what to do if a fire breaks out in their home. Preparation is an important part of being able to deal with an emergency and it is crucial you take steps to prepare your family for the potential of a home fire by having an escape plan and practicing it.

Preparing for the unexpected is difficult, but reviewing the information below and taking action based on it to plan for a fire could save lives.

RAF Mildenhall Fire Emergency Services recommends the following tips for planning your family's escape:

· Make a map of your home. Mark a door and window that can be used to get out of every room.
· Choose a meeting place outside the front of your home. This is where everyone can meet once they've escaped. Draw a picture of the outside meeting place on your escape plan.
· Write the emergency telephone number for the fire department on your escape plan (911 on base, and 999 off base).
· Sound the smoke alarm and practice your escape drill with everyone living in your home.
· Keep your escape plan on the refrigerator and practice the drill twice a year or whenever anyone in your home celebrates a birthday.
If you have children, you could make this a family activity.

To find out more about fire safety and developing an emergency escape plan, contact the fire prevention office at DSN 238-3911 or DSN 238-2763. To learn more about "Have Two Ways Out!" visit NFPA's website at www.firepreventionweek.org.