For the second straight year, the Danville Fire Department has been spending Fire Prevention Week visiting schools in the area, rather than bringing them to the fire stations. Today’s stop was at Edison School. Various drill stations, teaching fire prevention and safety, were set up all around the playground. In one of them, called the Safe House, students were practicing how to stay low when leaving a home that’s on fire. Firefighter Matt Goodner says, it’s a good way to teach.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: Basically just covering fire prevention, and talking about a lot of the things in the house that can be hazardous; so the kids know what to look out for when they’re at home, and what to do in case an emergency happens.
Edison School principal Betsy Porter says bringing the fire fighters on campus has worked out great; and this year they went all out.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: It’s wonderful. In fact last year, our schedule didn’t work out for them to do all four stations, we got to only do the two. So this year’s awesome. They’re doing the four safety stations. I think it’s wonderful for the kids to see the firemen, and to learn about fire safety. They’re having a great time. I see lots smiles. And we really appreciate the fire department, and all the guys coming here to help the kids out.
Firefighter Goodner agrees that visiting the schools is working just fine.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: It kind of puts the fire department on their turf, and they can kind of do things at their school. So yes, I think it helps them move through it a little quicker.
For more information for this Fire Prevention Week; please go see this release from the American Red Cross:
Local Red Cross Volunteers Help 8 People Affected by Home Fires in the Past Week
During Fire Prevention Week, the American Red Cross urges everyone to practice their escape
plans and test their smoke alarms
October 11, 2022 – American Red Cross volunteers responded to 6 home fires in Danville, Edwards, Chillicothe and Peoria this past week and provided assistance to 8 individuals through supplying them with basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support.
If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line: (877) 597-0747.
Download our new and improved Red Cross Emergency app for detailed home fire prevention and safety tips. Compatible with Apple Watch and Android wearable devices, visit redcross.org/apps or search “American Red Cross” in app stores.
Fire Prevention Week
This Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15), the American Red Cross urges everyone to practice their two-minute home fire escape plan and test their smoke alarms to stay safe from the nation’s most frequent disaster.
Two minutes is the amount of time that fire experts say you may have to safely escape a home fire before it’s too late. These crises account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year across the U.S. — where home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year.
“With the threat of home fires increasing with colder temperatures, Fire Prevention Week is a great time to sit down now with your loved ones and plan how to stay safe,” said Jennifer Pipa, vice president of Disaster Programs for the American Red Cross. “The most important two steps that you can take are to practice your two-minute home fire escape drill with everyone in your household and test your smoke alarms monthly.”HOW TO PRACTICE YOUR TWO-MINUTE DRILL Practice your plan with everyone in your household; also teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do in an emergency.
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a printable escape plan and safety tips for cooking and home heating — the leading causes of home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association, which is sponsoring Fire Prevention Week with the theme, “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.”
- Include at least two ways to exit every room in your home in your escape plan.
- Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
- Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
- Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.
- Tailor your escape plan to everyone’s needs in your household. If you or a loved one is deaf or hard of hearing, install strobe light and bed-shaker alarms to help alert you to a fire. Visit redcross.org/ASL-disaster-resources for more information, including resources in American Sign Language.
IF YOU NEED HELP If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Visit redcross.org/homefires or call 800-Red Cross.
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVE LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign with community partners has saved at least 1,393 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.
About the American Red Cross of IllinoisThe American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
