Hi all! It’s Dakota and I am sorry I am late posting, but I was waiting for my special guests to arrive. You see, today is National Pet Fire Safety Day and we are helping our furiends at Be The Change For Animals blog the change about Fire Safety. We are honored to have special guests who have been on my blog before.
Learning about fire safety can be fun when you learn it with the Fire Safety Dogs! Tango, Siren and Molly are not only members of their local fire department, but mascots for the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation. They love helping keep children and their caregiver’s fire safe!
With educationally sound programming, the Fire Safety Dogs have reached millions of children and their caregivers and have helped reduce fire related deaths and injuries for almost ten years. With nine “saves” (helping save the lives of seven children and 2 adults in actual fire related situations), the dogs have quite the experience under their collars.
PROGRAMS BY THE FIRE SAFETY DOGS
SPARKLES’ SAFETY SPOT
The Sparkles’ Safety Spot program helps children learn basic fire safety knowledge and skills with the goals of saving lives, limiting injuries, and reducing fire losses. Firefighter Dayna and her team of Fire Safety Dogs share fun, yet educationally sound, ways to stay safe, live on the web.
Friday mornings at 9 AM CST at firesafetydogs.com.
SPARKLES’ FIRE SAFETY SKYPE TOUR
This free, interactive Skype activity teaches children important fire safety lessons and is open to schools, organizations and library programs across the country and throughout the world.
The 30-minute program is designed to teach basic fire safety skills and features the Fire Safety Dogs, sing-a-longs, the reading of a fire safety book and the opportunity for children to become Junior firefighters. Participating schools and organizations receive a free, downloadable copy of the Fire Safety Dogs’ Skype Tour Coloring e-Book and bonus materials
FIRE SAFETY DOGS’ FIRE SAFETY TIPS
How often should you hold a family fire drill?
Families should practice their home fire drills at least two times each year. That activity will help remind family members what to do in an actual fire-related situation. It is also important for families to practice their fire drills when special guests stay in their home as well.
2. How should you go about it? Is there a step-by-step plan?
To develop a home escape plan, follow these easy steps:
Set aside some time for family members to prepare a home escape map.
Construct a map of the home illustrating all doors and windows.
Ask family members to identify at least two ways out of each room in the home.
Post the escape map on the refrigerator door or other public area
for all to view.
Ensure all windows and doors open easily.
Practice the home fire drill at least twice a year and when special guests stay in the home.
It is important to create, review, and practice the family fire drill for each level of the home at least twice a year. That way, family members will know how to quickly get out of their home in case of fire. A quick exit is critical since a small flame can turn into a major fire within as little as 30 seconds, and it can completely engulf the entire house within three minutes.
Practicing the home escape plan is especially important when members of the home have a disability, are elderly, and are small children. The plan should be practiced during the day and at night.
1. How often should you change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?
Experts recommend that batteries be tested at least once a month and be changed once a year.
According to the United States Fire Administration, several studies have concluded that when working smoke alarms are present, the chance of dying from the fire can be reduced by 50%.
The challenge is that not all homes have smoke alarms. It is estimated that some 12% of all homes in the United States do not have smoke alarms. Another problem is that almost one-third of all homes with smoke alarms in the United States do not work; one contributing factor is dead batteries in smoke alarms. Another concern is that numerous homes do not have enough smoke alarms to properly alert family members and guests in the home.
2.How many alarms are needed?
Smoke alarms should be located on each floor level of the home and outside each sleeping area. However, to avoid alarms from becoming activated from cooking fumes and car exhausts, smoke alarms should not be placed in kitchens and garages. In addition, do not place alarms in unheated areas, such as crawl spaces and attics, where it can get too hot or cold for the devices.
3.How can you make sure that they’re working?
Care and maintenance begins with reading the care instructions that come with the smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms have a “test” button that can be pushed to test the alarm. Should the alarm not work after being tested, replace it immediately.
Should the smoke alarms be out of reach for testing, there are different options for smoke alarms. One smoke alarm has a test feature which can be activated by a flashlight being shone upon it while another brand has a test that is automated, activating at the same day and time each week. If unable to do the proper testing, these smoke alarms can help an individual test the device where proper testing might not be able to be done.
In those smoke alarms that have batteries, change the batteries once a year and occasionally vacuum the smoke alarm to remove dust and/or cobwebs. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
2. How do you make sure that your fire extinguishers are in working order?
[The U. S. Fire Administration has a webpage with some GREAT info on fire extinguishers. The page provides some great maintenance tips as well as tips on when to use a fire extinguisher:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/extinguishers.shtm
Personally, I cannot recommend the use of fire extinguishers and would prefer that people get out and stay out and leave extinguishing the fire to the firefighter professionals.
3. Why is all of this important? How many house fires happen each year? How many end in fatalities?
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments responded to 370,000 home fires in 2011. In that year, fires caused 13,910 civilian injuries, 2,520 civilian deaths, and $6.9 billion in damage.
The leading cause of house fires and home fire injuries is cooking. The second leading cause is faulty heating equipment. A leading cause of home fire deaths is smoking.
Finally, on average, seven people die each day in the United States due to home fires.
Do you know that Molly, one of the Fire Safety dogs has her OWN FACEBOOK PAGE!
She sure does!!!!!
Click on her photo to LIKE IT!!!
About Dayna Hilton
As a second generation volunteer firefighter, Dayna Hilton joined the fire service in August 2000 and is founder and Executive Director of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation.
Hilton is the author of the critically acclaimed award-winning children’s book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. The book has been credited with helping save the lives of 7 children and two adults.
Recognized as one of the leading fire safety educators in the country, Hilton and her Fire Safety Dogs have reached almost a quarter of a billion children and their caregivers with the fire safety message for almost a decade. Whether it be traveling across the US, Skyping with school children from across the world or live-streaming their safety show weekly on the web, Hilton and her canine companions are dedicated to helping save the lives of children and reducing fire-related injuries.
To learn more safety tips, to Skype with the Fire Safety Dogs or to learn more about the Fire Safety Dogs’ programming, visit http://www.firesafetydogs.com
Source: 1-4 United States Fire Administration
5 National Fire Protection Association
Mom and I are sending out a HUGE THANK YOU and MANY BARKS AND LICKS AND LOVE, to THE FIRE SAFETY DOGS and Dayna Hilton for the honor of agreeing to be our most special guests today! Thanks for all that you do for so many of us! Barks and licks and love, Dakota