In order to keep West Michigan families
safe from fire this winter season, we are proud to continue our partnership
with another area fire safety expert Rescue
1 Fire Safety for Kids as well as WOOD TV 8 and WOTV 4. If
you are in need of a free smoke alarm or have installation questions, please
feel free to contact either E.S.C.A.P.E.,
Inc. or Rescue
1. We have a limited additional supply of smoke alarms available after each giveaway.
Recent
Area Events
December 17th, 2004
- Michigan:
Fire Safety expert Michael McLeieer, President
& Founder of E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. says "a working smoke alarm doubles
your chance of surviving a house fire. It's your first line of defense
in case of a fire." The holiday season is a high-risk time for home
fires, which is why WOOD TV8, WOTV 4, Farm Bureau Insurance, Rescue 1
Fire Safety for Kids, E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. and several area fire stations
in West Michigan are trying to get free smoke alarms to homowners who need
them.
According to the National Fire Protection
Association, roughly seventy percent (70%) of home fire deaths result from
fires in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that aren’t working.
On Friday, December 17, WOOD TV8 and several other community partners
teamed up with three area West Michigan fire departments to get free smoke
alarms to families who can’t otherwise get them. Starting at noon,
we distributed almost 2,000 free smoke alarms provided by Farm Bureau Insurance
& Rescue 1.
The smoke alarms were available in Wyoming
at Fire Station One, located on Burton at Burlingame. In Muskegon
County, they were distributed at the Muskegon Heights Fire Department on
Baker Street near Broadway. And in Ionia, the Department of Public
Safety on East Adams was the distribution site. Up to two smoke alarms
were given to families who did not already have smoke alarms in their homes
and had no other way of getting them. Fire and safety officials from
area fire departments, Rescue 1 or E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. were at each site
to answer questions about installing the smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms were also distributed by 24
Hour News 8 Anchors Suzanne Geha & Tom Van Howe as well as Director
of Community Affairs Eva Aguirre-Cooper at the Wyoming Fire Station, by
Gerry Barnaby, who was at the Muskegon Heights Fire Department and and
by Maranda & Rescue 1 who were in Ionia.
Below are some pictures from the Wyoming
Smoke Alarm Giveaway.
24 Hour News 8 Director of Community
Affairs Eva Aguirre-Cooper and News Anchor Suzanne Geha are speaking with
residents obtaining free smoke alarms in Wyoming at Station #1.
Suzanne Geha
Marie McLeieer from E.S.C.A.P.E. & Eva
Eva Aguirre-Cooper and News
Anchors Tom Van Howe & Suzanne Geha greeting guests.
24 Hour News 8 Anchor Tom
Van Howe, Communications Director Eva Aguirre-Cooper and Anchor Suzanne
Geha display the free smoke alarms being distributed thanks to the generosity
of Farm Bureau Insurance and Rescue 1 Fire Safety for Kids.
24 Hour News 8 Anchor Tom
Van Howe, E.S.C.A.P.E. President & Founder Firefighter Michael McLeieer,
Director of Community Affairs Eva Aguirre-Cooper, Wyoming Firefighters
and Anchor Suzanne Geha.
E.S.C.A.P.E.'s Marie McLeieer,
24 Hour News 8 Anchor Tom Van Howe, Wyoming Firefighter and 24 Hour News
8 Communications Director Eva Aguirre-Cooper.
October 30th &
31st, 2004 - Michigan:
An event this weekend was aimed at arming
West Michigan families with the equipment and knowledge to stay safe from
fire this fall. October is Fire Safety Month and as it came to a
close, we held an event to help individuals learn more about keeping their
family safe. When you’re protecting your home from the possibility
of fire, keep this in mind. Most fire deaths in homes occur at night
and many fire officials believe your best defense against this is a working
smoke alarm.
Put smoke alarms on the top of your holiday
gift-giving list this year. Many homes do not have enough smoke alarms
inside. Experts recommend putting one inside each bedroom and having
smoke alarms on every floor of the house including the attic.
Safety tips, home equipment and more information
was available at the family Fire Safety Days in Portage this weekend.
Rescue 1 and E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc., will be distributing information, taking
kids on fire truck tours, demonstrating how to get out alive in the smoke
trailer, and handing out free smoke alarms while supplies last.
E.S.C.A.P.E. stands for Education
Showing Children Awareness and Procedures for
Evacuations. It was the coordinator of this event and is a
non-profit community agency that works full time to educate children and
families about fire prevention and safety, as well as CPR and first aid.
Thanks to our community partners Lowe's
Home Improvement Center, WOOD TV 8, WOTV 4, Energizer Battery Company,
McDonald's, and Rescue 1 Fire Safety for Kids, we distributed over 300
free smoke alarms & over 200 9-volt batteries, as well as coloring
books, Pizza Hut bookmarks, fire safety stickers, and fire hats for the
children. We also shared other life saving information with the adults
who attended.
This eager youth builds a
fire truck with his father and Store Associate at Lowe's on South Westnedge
Avenue, Portage, MI
Storm Team 8 Meteorologist
Bill Steffen (upper center background), WOOD TV 8 Director of Community
Affairs Eva Aguirre-Cooper along with representatives from Lowe's, E.S.C.A.P.E.
and Rescue 1 Fire Safety for Kids greet guests and distribute free smoke
alarms & 9 volt batteries during the "Change your Clocks, Change your
Battery" campaign held Halloween weekend.
Marie McLeieer with E.S.C.A.P.E.
is ready to distribute coloring books, stickers and fire hats to the children
who exit the E.S.C.A.P.E. fire safety trailer.
Firefighter Michael McLeieer,
President & Founder of E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. assists the children, Lowe's store
associate and parents with the building projects of a fire truck, family
meeting place plaque or emergency phone number contact list plaque.
Firefighter Michael McLeieer
assists children & adults exiting from the E.S.C.A.P.E. fire safety
trailer and leads them to the family meeting place (the fence away from
the trailer) once outside.
A big thank you goes out to our community
partner Life EMS for providing an ambulance and to the Portage Fire Department
for providing Engine 1 for both the children and adults to tour.
Parents and children work
together on their building projects while learning about fire safety.
This Family Fire Safety Days event
was sponsored by E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc., Lowe's Home Improvement Center on
S. Westnedge Ave., Portage, MI, WOOD TV 8 & WOTV 4, McDonald's Restaurant
on S. Westnedge. Ave. at Romence, Portage and Rescue 1 Fire Safety for
Kids.
E.S.C.A.P.E.'s Marie McLeieer
& Founder Firefighter Michael McLeieer distribute fire safety materials
and fire hats to these children who learned about fire & life safety
in the E.S.C.A.P.E. fire safety trailer.
Life EMS' "Paramedic Princess"
shows these children the inside of the ambulance.
This future firefighter is
eager to learn about how to stay safe & not to be afraid of the Life
EMS ambulance, paramedics or firefighters. Several adults & children
arrived in Halloween costumes and learned about fire & life safety
during their visit at the Family Safety Day.
FAQ
Where to install smoke alarms:
-
At least one smoke alarm per floor.
-
One smoke alarm in the middle of living room
ceiling.
-
Never put a smoke alarm in the kitchen (this
is the cause of the most false alarms).
-
Put one in each bedroom, on the ceiling centered
above the door and 18" inside the bedroom.
-
Do not put smoke alarms on suspended ceilings.
Put them six inches down on the wall instead.
How to maintain smoke alarms:
-
Test & clearn smoke alarm monthly.
-
Change batteries at least twice a year.
Doing this when you change the time on your clocks in the spring and the
fall is good opportunity.
Where to install and maintain carbon monoxide
detectors:
-
Place a CO detector where CO is produced,
such as inside the room housing your furnace and water heater.
-
One CO detector on each floor including basement
and sleeping areas.
-
Check detectors monthly.
-
Change batteries at least twice a year.
To minimize your chance of CO poisoning:
-
Have your furnace checked annually.
-
Make sure heating and cooling company is licensed
-
Ask landlord for proof of inspection
-
Have at least one detector in your home
-
One per floor recommended
CO poisoning symptoms:
-
Headache, fatigue
-
Shortness of breath
-
Nausea, dizziness
-
No fever
-
Feel bad at home, better at work
-
Animals try to get out of home
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