Every weather expert predicted a fierce El Nino to hit Southern California this Winter, unfortunately we never received the needed precipitation. With that said, we don’t need experts to tell us that Fire Season will likely be arriving early this year, that’s evident by the recent wild fires burning in the Santa Barbara and Duarte regions of California in mid/late June, and the minor flare up we had northwest of Temecula in early June.
I had written an article for The Valley Business Journal in the October 2014 edition regarding National Fire Prevention Month. I shared the Ready, Set, Go approach that awareandprepare.org suggests to help prepare us in the event of a wild fire.
READY- Be Ready, Be Fire Wise
Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home is ready in case of fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home. Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe space. Plan escape routes and make sure all those residing within the home know the plan of action.
SET- Situational Awareness
Pack your emergency items. Stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety.
GO- Act Early!
Follow your personal wildland fire action plan. Doing so will not only support your safety, but will allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month. According to the latest NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) research, working smoke alarms cut the chances of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.
- Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
- Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t respond properly.
- Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.
