National Fire Protection Agency Reminds Citizens to Look, Listen and Learn When it Comes to Fire Safety

Posted on October 8, 2018
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI

With chilly temperatures right around the corner and a plethora of holiday cooking coming up, it’s important to be aware of how to prevent fires and how to react if they strike.

Every year the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recognizes Fire Prevention Week during the month of October. This year’s theme is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be Aware -fire can happen anywhere.”

The theme identifies three simple but essential ways that people can reduce the risk of fire and be prepared in the event of one.

Individuals should “Look” for places fires can start, such as in the kitchen and near heaters and furnaces. Additionally, people should always be alert and “Listen” for the sound of a smoke alarm. Double check the smoke alarms in your homes to ensure they’re in a working condition.

The final bit of advice from this year’s theme is to “Learn” two ways out of each room. Families are encouraged to go over escape plans with their children frequently enough so that when an emergency happens, they’ll know exactly what to do.

NFPA officials say that while the number of reported home fires in the U.S. has seen a steady decline over the past few decades, the death rate per 1,000 home fires was 10 percent higher in 2016 than it was in 1980.

NFPA Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy Lorraine Carli commented that these numbers show even though significant progress has been made in teaching people how to prevent fires from happening, there’s still much more work to do in terms of educating the public about how to protect themselves when one occurs.

The Starke County COAD, aka Community Organizations Active in Disaster, will be sharing more tips throughout the remainder of Fire Prevention Week. Click the link provided for more details.

This Volunteer Training Course Will Help You be Prepared If a Disaster Strikes

Posted on September 7, 2018
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI

If you’re interested in preparing yourself to provide assistance in the event of an emergency, you should consider attending the free Red Cross volunteer training session scheduled for Sunday, September 23rd.

This training course is being held in conjunction with the Starke County COAD’s efforts to form a local Disaster Action Team. The course will be held at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Knox. Prospective volunteers should show up around noon CST.

The whole program will run about for about 2 hours and participants will learn the basics about various aspects related to volunteering for disaster response and recovery with the Red Cross.

Parish Nurse Sharon Krick said that about a dozen individuals have already signed up to participate. Krick added that she would like to get a head count before the event because a light lunch will be provided.

If you’re interested in attending contact her at 219-205-0033.