PASO ROBLES, CA – As Fire Prevention Week approaches, the
Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services encourages residents to “Look.
Listen. Learn.” What does that mean?
Today’s home fires burn faster than ever. In a typical home
fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the
time the smoke alarm sounds. Knowing how to use that time wisely takes planning
and practice.
The Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services is teaming
up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) -- the official sponsor
of Fire Prevention Week™ for more than 90 years -- to promote this year’s Fire
Prevention Week campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen
anywhere™,” which works to educate the public about basic but essential ways to
quickly and safely escape a home fire.
NFPA statistics show that the number of U.S. home fires has
been steadily declining over the past few decades. However, the death rate per
1000 home fires that are reported to fire departments was 10 percent higher in
2016 than in 1980.
“These numbers show that while we’ve made significant
progress in teaching people how to prevent fires from happening, there’s still
much more work to do in terms of educating the public about how to protect
themselves in the event of one,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of
Outreach and Advocacy. “This is particularly critical given the increased speed
at which today’s home fires grow and spread.”
Carli also notes that although people feel safest in their
home, it is also the place people are at greatest risk to fire, with four out
of five U.S. fire deaths occurring at home. That over-confidence contributes to
a complacency toward home escape planning and practice.
This year’s “Look. Listen. Learn.” campaign highlights three
steps people can take to help quickly and safely escape a fire:
• Look for places fire could start.
• Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm.
• Learn 2 ways out of every room.
While NFPA and the Paso Robles Department of Emergency
Services are focusing on home fires, these fire safety messages apply to
virtually anywhere.
“Situational awareness is a skill people need to use
wherever they go,” said Randy Harris. “No matter where you are, look for
available exits. If the alarm system sounds, take it seriously and exit the
building immediately.”
For more information about Fire Prevention Week and home
escape planning, visit the Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services website
at https://www.prcity.com/482/Smoke-Detectors or www.firepreventionweek.org
***Remember to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors
when you move your clocks back.***