Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Burn Institute offers free lifesaving smoke alarm installations for seniors

SAN DIEGO – The Burn Institute’s Senior Smoke Alarm program helps save lives by providing and installing free smoke alarms to eligible seniors in San Diego and Imperial counties.

One of the best ways seniors can improve their chances of escaping a residential fire is by making sure their home is equipped with an operating smoke alarm.

The Burn Institute is working toward ensuring that every senior’s home has just that. This program will install smoke alarms in every bedroom, in each hallway and on every floor of the home. Trained and screened community partners and volunteers assist the Burn Institute year-round in installing the free alarms.

This program is for seniors residing in San Diego County age 62+ and living in their own home.

"In a fire, seconds count," Burn Institute Executive Director Susan Day said. "Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving seniors enough time to get out."

National safety statistics show that adults age 65 and older are two times more likely to die in a home fire than any other segment of the population; for those over age 75 that risk nearly quadruples. Despite these alarming statistics, thousands of seniors throughout San Diego and Imperial counties are living in homes without a working smoke alarm.

To register for this lifesaving program or see if you are eligible, call the Burn Institute at (858) 541-2277, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email [email protected].

Another invaluable fire safety tool each household should have is a fire escape plan. It can take less than two minutes for toxic fumes to overcome a child or an adult and knowing the most direct route out of one's home can help save one's life.

To create an escape plan, identify two ways out of every room in the home, and know the most direct route to outside. Set a designated meeting place that is a safe distance from the residence and is stationary, such as the light-pole or mailbox.

Once one gets out of the house, they should stay out! After an escape plan is created, residents should practice it with all members of the family at least once a year. The Burn Institute offers free fire escape planning guidelines at http://www.burninstitute.org.

Submitted by the Burn Institute.

 

Reader Comments(0)