Broome County is one of 12 New York State counties with families at highest risk for residential fires chosen to participate in a smoke alarm installation program. Firefighters from the Johnson City, Endwell, Deposit, West Colesville, Conklin, Five Mile Point, Union Center, Port Crane, Windsor, Chenango Forks, Chenango Bridge, Sanitaria Springs, Lisle, and Triangle Fire Departments will be accepting applications and conduct home visits to residents in selected communities to install free smoke alarms and provide fire safety education.

Funding for this initiative is through a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant provided to the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Endicott Fire Department applied separately and received an earlier grant from this same program. They have provided fire safety education and installed smoke alarms in over 1000 households in the village over the past several months.    

“The goal of FEMA’s Fire Prevention and Safety initiative is to prevent both fires and fire-related deaths and injuries,” said Brett Chellis, Broome County Fire Coordinator. “Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning device for fires. About 70% of residential fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Just having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half,” he said.

This program will reach out to residents, including senior citizens, children and those living in neighborhoods who are vulnerable to fire deaths and injuries. Installing smoke alarms in their homes and providing fire safety education to household members will greatly reduce this risk. Residents of these fourteen fire districts who wish to schedule a home visit can call the Broome County Office of Emergency Services at 607-778-2170 or apply online

“Residential fires disproportionately affect our most vulnerable citizens, including children aged 14 and under and adults aged 65 and older. Fire prevention is still the best medicine. The ‘best’ fire is one that never starts and the person least likely to be injured or killed in a fire is the one who is never exposed to fire danger in the first place,” said Chellis.

Community intervention is critical to improve the recognition of the importance of fire safety. This program will provide the opportunity for local fire departments to work together with county health departments and other community organizations to address critical fire prevention and safety issues. 

 

To learn more about fire safety, visit the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and control’s web site at http://www.dos.state.ny.us/fire/firewww.html,   the Federal government’s resource site for residential fire safety and prevention information at http://www.firesafety.gov or the National Fire Protection Association at http://www.nfpa.org.