TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The 60th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department facilitated Fire Prevention Week Oct. 3-9.
Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity for local fire departments to spread knowledge to the community on fire safety.
This year’s safety message is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety,” which aims to educate the community at Travis AFB the different sounds smoke and carbon monoxide alarms make whether they be a testing and low battery notification or an evacuation alarm.
“Forty-one percent of house fire deaths can be linked back to no or faulty detectors,” said Staff Sgt. Peter Kuykendall, 60th CES fire inspector. “The detectors are designed to detect a fire and signal the alarm with enough time to get people outside their home.”
Kuykendall said having the correct detectors in a home can be the difference between life and death.
House fires killed more than 2,770 people in the United States in 2019, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
“Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires by half,” said Master Sgt. Jerry Vega, 60th CES assistant chief of fire prevention. “Residents should be sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond.”
Vega encourages residents to practice their escape plan.
“Residents who have practiced an escape plan are more likely to survive a home fire,” said Vega. “Make sure your alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with physical disabilities.”
Across the U.S., fire departments have responded to 339,500 house fires, said Vega.
First responders are dedicated to reducing the occurrence of house fires and house fire injuries through education on prevention and protective measures.