SHELTON - Home fires have proven to be one of the largest disaster threats facing American families today, resulting more than eight in 10 fire-related deaths.
To raise awareness about this issue and encourage families to be prepared, Griffin Hospital, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley and White Hills Volunteer Fire Co. # 5 are teaming up to host “Make Safe Happen,” a free fire prevention program from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 15 at White Hills Fire Co. #5, 2 School St.
The event joins similar programs across the country sponsored by Safe Kids Worldwide and Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen program to mark Home Fire Drill Day and National Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15).
“Creating a fire escape plan with your family and practicing it is a smart thing for every family to do,” said Cathi Kellett, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator.
“In the event of an emergency, a child could feel overwhelmed or worried. Practicing on Home Fire Drill Day can help teach your children how to be prepared in case of a home fire.”
The Make Safe Happen program will help families in knowing how to:
- Pick a family safety spot outside that’s near the home and a safe distance away.
- Test smoke alarms with children so they know what the beep sounds like.
- Assign an adult to help children under 6.
- Use a timer to ensure everyone can get out to the safety spot in two minutes or less (this is how much time a family has to safely exit the house in the event of a fire).
- Prepare for the practice by drawing out a plan based on the exits around the home.
“We are launching Home Fire Drill Day with our expert partners to encourage families across the country to take a pledge that they will practice home fire drills on October 15. We want every family member to know exactly what to do in the event of a home fire,” says Mike Boyd, of Nationwide.
“We all practice fire drills at work and children do the same at school – we should do them at home as well, where fires are happening every day.”
For more information about Home Fire Drill Day, visit homefiredrillday.com.
About Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition
Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley (GNV) works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids GNV is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids GNV was founded in 2004 and is led by Griffin Hospital.
For more information, visit safekids.org or griffinhealth.org/safekids.
About Make Safe Happen®
Make Safe Happen is a program dedicated to reducing accidental injury – the leading cause of death among children. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly nine million children are treated at emergency rooms across the country and more than 9,000 children die each year due to accidental injuries. Protecting child safety and wellbeing for more than 60 years, Nationwide launched Make Safe Happen in 2015 to empower parents, caregivers and children with tools and resources to make homes safer. Together with its Advisory Council, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Worldwide, Make Safe Happen is committed to inspiring one million safety actions by the end of 2016 with the hope of reducing childhood accidental injury and death. To learn more and take action, visit makesafehappen.com.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; excess and surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance.
This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.
