Debbie Koch, executive director of the Greater Miami and Keys Chapter of the American Red Cross, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about home fire safety.
Fire safety in the home is so important.
Koch said, “The Red Cross is known for responding to hurricanes and floods, but the number one disaster we respond to across the country, 60,000 times a year are home fires, and it can happen to anyone, anytime, close calls. But then a lot of us thank our lucky stars that it hasn’t happened, but we’re here to talk about how to prevent it from happening.”
The Red Cross offers a lot of support after fires.
Koch said, “We have a really close working relationship with the fire department in the county and Key West, and they give us a call the second they know that there’s a family in need. Our volunteers show up oftentimes while the fire is still being put out, to make sure that the family has resources to get through the next few days, the next few weeks, and that they know everything that’s available to them to help them get back on their feet.”
What are some of the key points for home fire safety?
Koch said, “Our number one tip is make sure your smoke alarms are working. We recommend, when you turn your clock, check your alarm. It’s just an easy way to remember. But today is also a really good day to check your smoke alarms and make sure that they’re working. When a fire breaks out in your home, on average, you only have about two minutes to safely escape, and those are two pretty chaotic minutes, checking your kids, your pets, your parents, and you want to have a plan before that horrible event potentially happens.”
Home fires often start in the kitchen.
Koch said, “Kitchen fires are pretty high up there on where home fires often start. So you just want to check if you’re cooking, that your stove is on, you should keep an eye on what you fry, be by what you fry. I’m guilty, I keep my dish towel right near my stove, which is a no no. Certainly, especially when something’s on top of the stove, making sure that little hands, the kids, are aware that the stove is on and just really watching what’s going on, keeping a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket near your cooking apparatus is also a really good tip.”
If you’re lighting candles for Valentine’s Day, make sure you’re careful.
Koch said, “Candles are definitely something to keep a very close eye on, especially like long tapers. I have mine in hurricane glass, it’s a little bit safer, but I like to just look at them, not lit usually. Candles are definitely another potential hazard, and keep an eye on them, especially if they’re on a low table and you have pets or kids around, they’re really easy to tip over and catch something on fire.”
Faulty wiring can be another issue.
Koch said, “Or having too many plugs, having extenders on your wall outlets is also a potential electric fire hazard. Using your electric appliances and outlet safely is a big, big tip.”
CPR is another topic for the Red Cross and some of the training has gone to compression-only.
Koch said, “Rescue breathing is still the gold standard, but a lot of us are a little nervous to do that, since COVID and such, but compressions only are absolutely, almost as entirely effective as doing the full suite of CPR, and it’s a really easy skill to learn. We teach it in 30 minutes and your Red Cross Chapter here in Miami, and Keys is happy to come out to your organization and teach hands only CPR. You can give our office a call anytime to do that. Hands only CPR, it’s a three step check. We call it check, call, care. You check the scene, make sure the scene is safe for you to be in it to help that person who’s having a cardiac event. Always call 911 even if you’re not sure how dire the situation is. It’s always a good idea to call 911 and then to deliver care to the best level of your skills. If you’re trained in handling full CPR, and you’re able to deliver that and the person is in need, by all means, we know that CPR helps save lives. The chances of someone surviving a cardiac event who’s receiving CPR from a bystander vastly increases their chances of survival.”
For more information, click here: https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/south-florida/about-us/locations/greater-miami-the-keys.html?srsltid=AfmBOop9Og-mLE_iHtv3maj6UGw7iofKFFKcCVhG5RhWX4wFXW7qSbur