12 | SUNRAYS
OCTOBER 2013
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
CA NEWS
October 6-12 is National Fire Prevention week.
It is observed across the U.S. with various ac-
tivities to remind us about the danger of fire
and about making plans for what to do if we
were to be involved in a fire situation.
Here in Sun City Texas, we should be prepared for a fire in our
home and for wildfires in our area. Our resident population is
statistically more likely to be killed or injured by fires than the
general population; we must take the necessary steps to reduce
the possibility that we will be one of those statistics.
Consider what you would do if you had a fire in your home.
•
Do you have working smoke alarms?
Test your smoke
alarm system once amonth. Replace all smoke alarms when
they are 10 years old. If you have a hearing impairment, get
special equipment that will provide a warning.
•
How would you escape?
Developing a plan for what to
do and practicing the plan could save your life. Identify a
primary and secondary exit from each room in your home.
A secondary exit might be a window. Can you open and exit
from the window? What is on the outside? Is there shrub-
bery that will prevent your exit?
•
What if the smoke alarmsounds? Get out and stay out.
If the room is filling with smoke,
get low and go
. Smoke
and dangerous gases rise toward the ceiling; therefore, air
near the floor is less hazardous. Do not try to contact the
fire department from inside your home. Exit, then call 9-1-1
from outside your home.
•
Where would you go after exiting the burning struc-
ture?
Have a meeting place where everyone will go. A com-
mon meeting place makes it easier to verify that everyone
has left the building. In Sun City Texas, a good location
is your mail box. Never go back inside for people or pets.
Wait for the arriving fire personnel and communicate to
them if people or pets are not present. Fire personnel have
protective equipment that permits them to conduct search
and rescue activities in most situations.
•
Does everyone living in the home understand the
escape plan?
Have you practiced the plan recently? If you
have overnight visitors (especially children), review your
fire escape plan with them.
The theme of the 2013 Fire Prevention Week sponsored by
the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is
“Prevent Kitchen Fires.”
According to information provided
by NFPA, two out of every five home fires start in the kitchen.
About one-third of those fires are the result of unattended cook-
ing, 58 percent begin on the cooking surface, and 16 percent
occur in the oven. The mantra is “Cook with Caution.” Keep
flammable objects (i.e. oven mitts, wooden utensils, food pack-
ing, towels) away from the stovetop.
Remember, if you have a fire in your home, just get out.
Call 9-1-1 after you leave the building.
For additional information, visit online at
or
National Fire Prevention Week
Submitted by Dan Dodson, Firewise Education Coordinator, EMC
CPR/FIRST AID/AED CLASSES
CPR/First Aid/AED classes are taught monthly
in Sun City Texas. For information, contact
Barbara Akers at
.
The Firewise Group will host a Town
Hall on Wednesday, October 9 in the
Ballroom. The session will begin at 9:30
a.m, with presentations by the Firewise
Group, Georgetown Fire Department,
and the Texas A&MForest Service. Top-
ics include information concerning fire
behavior, our Sun City Texas sources
of fire danger, our Firewise successes,
and the future of the SCTXCA Firewise
program.
Prior to and after the presentation, in-
formation will be available for residents
about various activities relating to the
Firewise program, its interactions with
other Sun City Texas committees and
chartered clubs, and general information
about fire prevention. Invited groups in-
clude the Emergency Management Com-
mittee Education Group, COPs, Sun City
Amateur Radio Society, the Property &
Grounds Committee, the Wildlife Man-
agement Committee, the Georgetown
Fire Department, the Texas A&MForest
Service, and Williamson County EMS.
Come early and learn from these groups.
The Sun City Texas Firewise Group’s
primary mission is to educate our resi-
dents about the dangers of wildfire.
For more information, join us at the
Town Hall or visit our web page via
> Site Index > Firewise.
Come to the Firewise Town Hall
Wednesday, October 9, 9:30 a.m., SCB
Submitted by Dan Dodson, Firewise Education Coordinator, EMC
FAST FACTS ABOUT FIRE
• Cooking is the leading cause
of home fires and home fire
injuries, followed by heating
equipment.
• Smoking is a leading cause of
civilian home fire deaths.
• Almost three-quarters of Amer-
icans do have an escape plan;
however, more than half never
practice it.
• One-third of American house-
holds thought they would have
at least 6 minutes before a fire
in their homewould become life
threatening. The time available is
often less. And only 8% said their
first thought on hearing a smoke
alarm would be to get out!
– Source: nfpa.org
