Are your kids fire-safe?

Do your children know what to do in the event your home’s smoke alarm begins to beep? Do they know how to safely evacuate your home and where to meet other family members safely away from a fire? Have you talked to them about the dangers of playing with matches and lighters?According to the U.S. Fire Administration, about 2,800 children under the age of 14 are injured and about 850 die in residential fires each year. With guidance from adults, our children can learn valuable lessons that will keep them from becoming statistics.There are a number of fire safety resources available to parents, but some of the most effective are found on the U.S. Fire Administration’s Web site, www.usfa.dhs.gov. The resources are age appropriate and interactive; and your child will be rewarded with a Junior Fire Marshal certificate by successfully completing the short quizzes at the end of each section.”Helping children understand the dangers of fire and ensuring they know what to do in the event of a fire at home or at school is a very important parental responsibility,” said fire Lt. David Smith of the Falcon Fire Department. “One of the most important steps we can take as parents is to develop and teach our children fire escape plans.”The U.S. Fire Administration offers the following tips for developing an escape plan for your family:

• Try to find two ways out from every room in your home. The first way out should be a door. Every way needs to be planned and practiced with grownups.
• Before opening any door in a fire, feel the door starting from the bottom and then work your hand up the door to see if it is hot. A hot door means there may be fire on the other side. Try to get out another way.
• Stay low to the floor when escaping a fire.
• If you have security bars in your home, make sure you know how to open them in case you need to escape from fire.
• Pick a safe and easy-to-remember place outside the home to meet your family after you get out.
• After you get out, call 911.
• Stay outside no matter what. Don’t go back for anything.

Here are some additional fire safety tips from USFA to share with children:

• Never put anything over a lamp, like clothes or a blanket, not even when playing.
• Don’t touch radiators or heaters. Ask an adult to turn the heater on or off.
• Don’t stand too close to the fireplace or a wood stove. You could get burned or your clothes could catch fire.
• Never touch matches, lighters or candles. If you see matches or lighters in a room, tell an adult right away.
• Don’t cook alone or without asking an adult.
• Don’t play with electrical cords.
• Never stick anything into an electrical socket.
• Turn off lights, stereos, TVs and other electrical equipment when you’re finished using them.

“Adults should use every opportunity to teach fire safety to children,” said Lt. Smith. “Whether it’s in the kitchen, the garage or the bedroom, there are many chances each day to reinforce fire safety messages. We shouldn’t ignore those teachable moments when they present themselves.”The Falcon Fire Department offers several education programs for children through local schools and at the department’s headquarters station. For more information about these programs or to schedule a tour of the station, call 719-495-4050.Falcon fire department open houseThe Falcon Fire Protection District is celebrating their new fire station with an open house May 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The new fire station is located on the corner of Stapleton Road and Meridian Ranch Boulevard. The Flight for Life Helicopter will be at the open house as well as the El Paso County Hazardous Materials response unit. Food and refreshments will be served.The new Fire Station 1 will be the primary staffed station for District 1 and will provide reduced response times to the most populated areas that also generate the highest call volumes.Construction of the new facility was financed by Farmers State Bank, which will own the station for 10 years. The Falcon Fire Department will lease the station for 10 years on a lease/purchase agreement with an option to purchase the station for $1.The existing facility on Old Meridian Road will be the new home of the department’s administrative functions and fleet maintenance. It also will serve as the department’s training facility.