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The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center Helps Parents to Prevent Death by Fire for Children The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that a baby or toddler under age five dies nearly every day in a residential fire. FEMA has initiated a campaign to raise awareness about the increased risk of fire death for young children, and to teach parents and caregivers how they can avoid the tragedy. The campaign's message emphasizes installing smoke alarms, securing lighters and matches and developing a fire evacuation plan. “Young children have a disproportionately higher risk of fire death than the rest of the population,” says Kathe Conlon, B.S.N., R.N., Community Nurse Educator for the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation. “They depend on their parents and caregivers to keep them safe, to prevent fires from starting and to increase the chances that the entire family can escape a fire quickly and safely. Every parent should take a few simple but important steps to prevent this tragedy. Even toddlers can be taught how to quickly respond in case of fire and adults need to know how they will escape with infants." From 1989 through 1998, U.S. children younger than age five were twice as likely as the rest of the population to die in a residential fire; in that decade 5,830 children died in fires in this country, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas and FEMA offer the following fire safety information: The Importance of Escape Plans · When fire breaks out, you have only seconds to escape its powerful heat, blinding smoke and deadly gases. Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Test alarms so that everyone will recognize the sound and know immediately what to do. · Children as young as three years old can follow a fire escape plan they have practiced often. Yet, many families don't have detailed escape plans. · Draw a basic diagram of your home, marking all windows and doors, and plan two routes of escape out of each room. Consider various fire scenarios when creating your plan and develop actions for a safe escape in each case. · Remember to plan for each member of your family, including babies and toddlers or other family members who may be unable to escape on their own. · Consider installing smoke detectors in each child’s room, not just hallways. If fire breaks out in the child’s room with a closed door, the detector in the hallway will not sound for several minutes. · Keep your child's bedroom door closed. If a hallway fire occurs, a closed door may hinder the smoke from overpowering your baby or toddler, giving firefighters extra time for rescue · Teach toddlers and young children not to hide from firefighters. Their uniforms can be scary in times of crisis. Explain to children that firefighters are there to help in an emergency. Take children for a tour at your local fire station so that they can see a firefighter in full gear. · Also, teach your children how to touch closed doors to see if they are hot before opening. If so, use an alternate escape route. · Have a safe meeting place outside the home and teach children never to go back inside. · Escape first, then make all 911 calls from outside the home. Fire Safety at Home · Don't overload outlets. · Have your heating systems checked annually. · Use deep ashtrays and soak the ashes in water, if you smoke. · Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children. Never use them as amusement for your children. They may imitate your actions. ( Storage is more of a problem, not adults playing with lighters/matches) For more information about this or other burn safety programs, contact the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation at (973) 322-8071. Or, visit us on our web site at www.njburncenter.com. Date: January, 2004 [ top ] |
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